


Fireproof

by CaptainAmericaontheTardis



Series: Fireproof [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Klaus Hargreeves, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kid Fic, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, M/M, Modern David "Dave" Katz, Non-Binary Klaus Hargreeves, Pre-Season/Series 01, Prostitution, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Trans Diego Hargreeves, eventual Klaus / Dave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 125,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26518579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainAmericaontheTardis/pseuds/CaptainAmericaontheTardis
Summary: "Did you know me and you must be fireproof with all the hell that we've been through." -Coleman HellAfter a misguided deal with the Devil, Klaus Hargreeves' world is turned upside down - it won't be easy but maybe along the way he can learn to heal and find happiness in the flames.Alternate Summary - Klaus and Ben; Two halves of a whole idiot attempt to raise an adorable demon baby.
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves/Original Character(s), Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Everyone, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz, Klaus Hargreeves/Original Male Character(s), Vanya Hargreeves/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Fireproof [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136642
Comments: 693
Kudos: 607





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I'm very curious to see what you guys think of this one! I planned it out as a sort of Fall/Halloween themed story to try to get myself into the spirit of the holidays! I'll be updating as much as possible! I hope that you enjoy!

Klaus Hargreeves was 23 years old the third time that he died on October 31st at 10:30 in the evening in a dirty back alley of the city.

Ben watched helplessly as he was attacked, beaten, spit on then left to die of blood loss and shock on the cold pavement. Of course, he hadn’t died immediately and there was an agonizing amount of time where he was lying on the ground wheezing and struggling. In true Klaus fashion, he had started laughing as his attackers walked away and he continued giggling deliriously as his life drained away; pooling underneath him.

Ben sat down next to him and sighed. He couldn’t panic, there was no use in yelling or begging – it’s not like this was the first time he watched his brother die, even if it certainly was the most violent and traumatic. All he could do was try to remain in Klaus’ line of sight so at least he would know that he wasn’t alone.

He had been so high coming back from the random Halloween party that he couldn’t even hear Ben warning him, screaming into his ear that there were people following him. For once Ben hoped that the copious number of drugs in Klaus’ system would help with some of the pain. Maybe they would be good for something.

Klaus stared at him with wide blood shot eyes, but it wasn’t until just before his last breath that something sparked with recognition. And for a moment he looked sorry. He looked scared. Then he died.

Once he was gone Ben allowed himself to cry at the unfairness of it all. Then, he waited.

************************************************

Klaus opened his eyes. He sat up and looked around. He was in a nice meadow area; the sun was shining and it was quiet. He was no longer in agony and he could think clearly. A smile spread across his face and he stood up.

A young girl on a bike rolled up to him. He had met her before and he knew who she was, so he raised his arms, “Heyyy! Long time no see!”

She stared at him blankly and shook her head, “Not long enough.”

Suddenly he was falling and falling and falling and eventually it became relaxing and despite his initial panic and confusion he began to enjoy the experience. He didn’t know how long he was falling when he finally landed, it should have been painful, but he couldn’t feel a thing.

A rush of hot air hit his face and he blinked it away. He had never been here before; gorgeous red and orange mountains towered in the horizon and the air crackled and popped with an all-consuming heat. The ground sizzled under his feet as he stepped forward.

“Oh, come on!”

Klaus whipped around to see a very attractive young man, maybe in his late 20s or early 30s. He was standing in front of a large obsidian desk piled with scrolls. His eyes were a glistening hazel color and his hair was long; Klaus might even say that it was ‘cascading’ around his bare shoulders. The man had impressive horns that pointed towards the fiery sky. Klaus didn’t hate it. 

He took in his figure and hummed appreciatively.

Klaus flashed a flirty smile and held out his hand, “I had heard you were the most beautiful angel but I’ve gotta say – the stories didn’t do you justice.”

Satan rolled his eyes.

******************************************************

Klaus shot up and immediately let out an agonizing wheeze as the pain flashed through his body and left him gasping for air. He fell back and whimpered, there wasn’t a single part of his being that wasn’t in pain – he was having trouble figuring out what wasn’t broken at this point.

He glanced up, still writhing against the pavement to see his brother standing over him with his arms crossed. His face was dry and unreadable.

“Wild night, huh?” He quipped but the weakness in his voice betrayed him instantly.

“It took you—” Ben stopped and lowered his arms at the new sound which suddenly filled the area and caused Klaus to jump and scramble backwards into the wall. “What is that?”

Ben moved over his brother and cautiously approached the source of the wailing. Around fifty feet away from them was a baby, bundled in a black blanket. She looked like a newborn and she was wriggling and crying against the confines of the cloth surrounding her tiny body.

Klaus clawed up the side of the wall and limped over to join his brother, he squinted down at the infant in confusion, “What kind of person leave’s their baby next to a dead dude?”

“No one left it here, Klaus – I’ve been watching the whole time.”

Behind Ben’s back Klaus was shaking his fists and silently screaming at the ground in anger. But when he spoke he had composed himself “Kinky.”

“Take this seriously! Where did she come from?!” Ben was circling the area.

Klaus spit some blood off to the side and slumped to his knees, “I don’t know! And quite honestly, I don’t really care… Listen, Hector’s waiting for me – maybe he’ll take me to the clinic.” He stared down at her and cringed as her cries pierced his aching head.

“So you’re just going to Leave her here?” Ben asked, horrified.

“I’m not a monster, Ben – We’ll- we’ll – I don’t know.. Drop her off the police station! Yeah – “ He chuckled, “That’ll work.”

Klaus watched the infant; his expression half exasperation half horror as the truth of the situation broke through the adrenaline and pain. He sighed and looked away, sitting back with a pained groan. “Just… Give me a second... Benny boy..” He added tiredly, letting his eyes drift closed for a moment.

Ben was a few inches from the baby now, inspecting her closely. “You know… She kind of looks like you.”

Klaus leaned forward and picked her up. It took him a few tries, but he was eventually able to gain his footing again, using his shoulder to brace against the wall. He scoffed, “She’s like an hour old, Ben – she doesn’t look like anybody. She looks like a peeled potato that’s been left on  
a counter.”

Then he glanced down at the infant’s scrunched up face, “I mean- It’s fine – we all looked like that at one point. You’ll grow out of it in no time.”

He began the arduous and slow walk through the city, limping with the infant against his chest while Ben wondered next to him.

“You know more than you’re letting on.” Ben accused after a few blocks. He had been watching his brother and the strange looks that were cycling through his features.

“Oh, do I now?”

“Yeah. You do – Klaus, no one dropped her off – she just came out of thin air.”

“Well, it is Halloween!” He said with a weak reverb “Maybe one of the ghosties dropped off an All Hollows Eve miracle – some witch somewhere is going to shit themselves when they see her! We’ll put a note with her explaining everything.”

Now Ben definitely knew his brother was hiding something.

“Klaus!”

“Okay, fine!” He snapped, “Look, man, it’s weird, alright? God kicked me out and sent me to hell – I met Satan – Who is a hunk, by the way…”

“Okay…”

“And he didn’t like me either but, look, I didn’t want to come back so I- I buttered him up a little and then… One thing led to another.. And he offered me, like, a wish- I don’t know, he said I could ask for whatever I wanted and he would give it to me as long as I didn’t come back.

Ben stopped dead in the middle of the walkway, “Klaus, you didn’t.” The shock and disbelief in his voice was palpable.

Klaus stalled to turn back to his brother, “Tis the season!” He said sheepishly.

Ben stomped towards his brother, gesturing to the infant, “So-so-so – What does that mean? What does that have to do with her!?”

Klaus sighed, “I asked for a high that would last the rest of my life…” He admitted. 

If Ben was alive, he would have vomited. “So he gave you a child?”

“Look, I meant heroin and that slippery bitch knows it! ” He kicked at the ground and immediately regretted it as pain shot up through his injured leg, “Ah! Not this ‘parental love’ bullshit high or whatever.”

Ben threw his hands up, “Oh, so the dark lord isn’t transparent? Who would have thought!” He ran up closer to his brother, “So that means she’s yours though, right?” 

He laughed maniacally, “Who cares?! This is just a tricky loophole that the devil used to get back at me for bothering him. So I would stop begging him to stay. For all I know, she could be an illusion… Probably under that--” Klaus pulled her away and looked at her, she stared up at him pensively “...Sweet little face… Is a disgusting goblin creature or something.”

“Klaus.”

“Don’t ‘Klaus’ me, Casper - The sooner we drop her off the sooner we can get back to our life!”

“What life?” Ben mumbled sourly under his breath. 

Ben wanted to scream, he wanted to pass out, he wanted to jump through the veil and strangle his stupid brother. Instead he shut up and followed him as he made his way to the back of the police station, dodging people in masks and sexy costumes. Klaus found a quiet spot next to a side door and deemed it the perfect place.

He set her down carefully and pinched her little cheek – “If you’re sore about this in 18 years, feel free to come and murder me – okay? Have a good life!” He winked at her and let out a shaky exhale that his brother didn’t catch and started to hobble away.

Ben stayed next to the little bundle, watching his brother go – “So, what? Nobody wants you so you’re just going to do the same thing to her?” He called out, “Like mother, like son, I guess. Maybe whatever foster home she gets stuck into won’t abuse her as badly as Reginald did to us.”

Klaus stopped and turned slowly, the glare he shot at his brother wasn’t a joke – Maybe the drugs were finally wearing off, but he looked livid. Ben maintained his expression and balled up his fists.

“You did this, Klaus - I get that you hate yourself but what did she do to deserve being abandoned?”

There were several long moments of silence leading up Klaus taking a heavy step forward back towards the infant. He glared at the ground, refusing to look at his dead brother as he limped back to the steps where the baby was settled. He leaned down and picked her up, pressing her against his chest mechanically.

Finally, he looked at Ben, “I hate your stupid face.” He snarled and turned away, shambling painfully into the night with the baby in his arms.

As he turned away, Ben smirked triumphantly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little holiday update from Ben's point of view before we get back into all the spooky shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This one's all from Ben's perspective and is a little sappier but it will pick up again next chapter :) I hope you enjoy!

_“Rockin’ around the Christmas tree  
At the Christmas party hop  
Every couple tries to stop  
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree  
Let the Christmas spirit ring  
Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie  
And we’ll do some caroling” _

Ben bounced along gently to the song playing loudly from one of the adjoining motel rooms, he was sitting next to the air unit watching the snow trickle down. He considered this to be his first real Christmas, he didn’t count all the holidays spent hoping that his brother wouldn’t literally die of exposure on the streets.

There was drunk yelling coming from somewhere below them and the people next door were loudly having sex. Ben focused on the sounds of the holiday music playing and found himself in a good mood.

He looked over to where the baby, Kenzie Grace, was sleeping soundly on the bed surrounded by a barrier of pillows and smiled fondly. She was a typical baby, now almost 2 months old and she would be up and down throughout the night but right now she was full, clean, and tuckered out.

Klaus plodded into the bedroom from the bathroom wearing a towel around his body like a dress and matching towel around his head in a swirling tower. He glanced to the side of the motel where the obnoxious fucking was happening and glared.

Two months sober – Ben was ecstatic and more hopeful than he had ever been (Both alive and dead). Klaus was cranky. Ben didn’t mind, he would rather have Klaus having real emotions even if it meant he was agitated and rude. It helped that when faced with the constant feeding and diaper changing of a baby – he learned real quick how to make Ben corporeal.

It was a necessity – especially when Klaus was vomiting, hallucinating, and passing out as the poison was leaving his system and Ben adored the fact that Kenzie saw him and interacted with him. He could help her, and it made him feel alive and loved.

He didn’t know how Klaus felt at the moment but to Ben, Kenzie was the best thing that ever   
happened to them. Thanks Satan.

Klaus moved the chair that was sitting against the desk and pressed it firmly against the doorknob; his hands shook and he nearly tripped moving it over. He checked the locks one more time then moved to the bed, he faced the infant and curled loosely around her, placing a hand protectively on her tummy.

“Klaus.”

“Hm?”

Ben paused for a moment, thinking over his next words carefully. They were never good at feelings in their household, “I’m – I just want you to know that- I know you could have bought drugs with that money – I’m proud of you for getting the room instead.”

His words hung in the air for a few seconds before he heard his brother sigh.

“Well, I mean – It’s too late for a refund. I already tried.” He chuckled to himself dryly.

Ben smiled. He was about to say something else when a gunshot went off nearby. Klaus yelped and covered his head, startling the baby who began to cry. Ben left them and phased through the door – he looked around noticing that the commotion was happening about a block away in a different area. He went back inside and sat on the bed.

Klaus was curled around the baby, patting her gently and stroking her cheek desperately, “Shh… Shh.. I’m sorry squishy face – I’m sorry. It’s okay.” Kenzie’s cries became more intense “Oh my! – Oh, chubby cheeks is upset now! Oh, no – It’s okay, baby – shh… Mom’s not going to let anything happen to you – go to sleep – you little scream machine…” He gently sang the last bit through clenched teeth and that seemed to calm her down.

Klaus groaned when the ghosts started poking their way through the walls at the new sound but he continued to lightly rock her back and forth on her back.

“It’s way over there – They shouldn’t bother us.” Ben reported.

Klaus nodded, “Hear that, little bit? Nothing to worry about – go back to sleep…” Her face was still red and she was hiccupping off an on but her cries died down and soon her little eyelids started to droop.

Klaus sighed and dropped his head over hers, his body was tense but he closed his eyes and sighed as she finally went quiet again.

“She’s like a little space heater…” Klaus said in a hushed tone then he added with a little more concern, “What if she has a fever?”

Ben got up and walked to the other side of the bed to get a better look at the infant. She was on her back, laying comfortably against Klaus’ towel covered chest. Her skin was clear and she was sleeping peacefully despite the ruckus she was just throwing a moment before. “She doesn’t look sick.”

“How can you tell? She’s always a little blotchy…”

“Check her forehead.”

Klaus moved the HELLO palm of his hand and pressed it against her head, he concentrated for a few moments, calculating, “She definitely feels alive.” He concluded.

Ben rolled his eyes, “She’s fine, Klaus, she probably feels warm because you’re freezing all the time.”

Klaus whined.

“Klaus. Take a deep breath – She’s not sick, just be there with her, okay?”

His brother nodded, squeezing his eyes shut, “She’s not sick. She’s not sick.” He repeated back in a soft tone.

The fight a few rooms down got louder, and Klaus had to physically brace himself to avoid jostling the baby again. He tensed and let out a shaky breath. His eyes darted around the room, over the ghosts and landed on the door which was now blockaded by the flimsy chair.

Klaus was jumpy now, too, since he got sober. Ben was finally seeing the real effects of trauma that would normally be hidden by drugs. In the past, Ben had seen him go through horrible things and just move past it like it was nothing, drowning it out and forgetting it a day later. It wasn’t like that anymore. Loud bangs and raised voices sent trembles down his body and made him startle and move in the opposite direction.

“Hey, you’re okay.”

“What?” Klaus craned his neck to look at his brother incredulously.

“You’re spiraling on me, man – You’re going to wake up Kenzie if you keep shaking like that.”

“Am not.”

“Are to.”

“Screw you.” The smile on his face betrayed him.

After a moment Klaus huffed out a weak laugh, “You said that you were proud of me…”

Ben leaned against his brother’s back and shook his head, “Did I say that?”

“I mean, maybe I was hallucinating but I’m pretty sure that’s what you said before the gang next door started their initiation.”

Bens scrunched up his face, “Maybe I did. To be fair- Klaus, this is the longest you’ve ever kept anything alive. Including yourself, so –“

Klaus snorted, “Speak for yourself, buddy.”

Ben actually laughed at that, “Touché.”

Klaus sighed and seemed to focus on relaxing his shoulders and neck. He looked exhausted and Ben knew he was struggling to keep his strength up without the chemicals running through his veins. He knew that his brother was still dealing not only with the side effects of withdrawal but also from the injuries sustained from his attack on that fateful night.

Ben hoped that someday Klaus’ face would fill out, that he would be able to gain some weight   
and bring some color back into his skin.

Ben looked at the clock on the bedside table; It read 12:26. “Merry Christmas, Klaus.”

Klaus glanced over at his brother and then at the baby. He looked like he was going to make a smartass comment, but maybe for once he was just too tired, “Merry nondenominational holiday…” He mumbled.

He glanced over at the door again and frowned.

Ben stood up from the bed, “Get some sleep – I’ll make sure nobody bothers us.”

Klaus nodded and finally closed his eyes.

Ben moved to the desk and sat down on top of it, leaning against the window. He watched the snow fall down and for the first time since he was a child, thought that it looked peaceful and beautiful. The holiday music next door changed songs and Ben began to hum softly to himself, keeping close guard on the streets outside.

_”Christmas eve will find me  
Where the love light gleams  
I’ll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams…” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Comments are literally the best!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babies are just full of surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy this!

It took them 6 months. 6 months of bouncing between the cheapest of hotel rooms and homeless shelters, begging, finagling, and stealing but here they were - victorious in the cheapest apartment in the worst part of the city. The landlord was definitely on crack, the walls were thin, and the floors had some mysterious stains but there was no place that Klaus could possibly love more in this moment.

“Smell that, Benny boy?” Klaus inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, “It smells like- “

“Mold?”

Klaus cracked one eye open, “Home! It smells like home!” 

He sniffed again, “And mold. Yeah, just a little like mold. But it’s okay! This is just the start!” Klaus was spinning lightly in the middle of the living room (?) like he was in the sound of music. 

The one bedroom apartment consisted of a small living space indistinguishable from the floor of the kitchen, one small bedroom with a small closet that someone had definitely died in and a bathroom that you could barely turn around in; It did have one of those old cast iron tubs, however, and Klaus was excited to scrub out some of the weird rust stains and take a proper bath. 

“We need to take stock of what we have.” Ben reminded him, pulling him out of his fantasies. 

Klaus put his hands down and pouted, “If I do this stupid list will you let me enjoy my new place for the rest of the night?”

“Sure.”

“Fine! It’s not like it’s going to take very long…” Klaus moved the few feet to the kitchen, he grabbed the lease and flipped it over to the blank side and fished out a pen he had stolen from the landlord. 

He glanced over to where Kenzie was rolling around on a baby blanket set up in the corner of the kitchen, “You good, muffin?” 

She was distracted by her set of plastic keys that Klaus had stolen from a thrift shop two days ago so she didn’t even acknowledge him. He shrugged and glanced at Ben, “Seems fine.”

He settled on the floor in the corner where the kitchen sink met the stove and placed the paper on his knees. Ben sat on the stove and looked down over his shoulder, “Okay, lets just list what we own and then we can start figuring out what we need. “

Their list consisted of: 

Apartment (1 month)  
Baby Blanket (2)  
Baby mattress  
Teddy bear  
Plastic keys  
Alphabet Blocks (3)  
Baby formula  
Box of diapers (2)  
Baby clothes (10)  
Blanket (adult)  
Pillow  
Cigarettes (1 pack)  
Bob Marley lighter (1) 

Klaus sighed and looked over his work, “I think that’s everything… And we have 3 dollars left!” He tugged out three crumbled bills from his waistband and kissed them proudly. Ben grimaced. 

“I really wish you would have bought food for yourself instead of those damn cigarettes.” Ben bemoaned. 

Klaus threw his hands up, “It’s the only thing I have left! Will you get off my ass about that? Would you prefer I had gotten some crack?”

“You haven’t eaten today!”

“If it’s not one thing, it's another with you, Casper!”

Ben smacked his brother in the head with his foot, just hard enough to annoy him and cause him to slap upwards in retaliation. They both looked up at the sound of an upset hiccup and saw Kenzie staring at them, her face screwed up; she tossed her keys onto the tile floor. She looked around in confusion suddenly realizing that they were no longer in her hand - then she started wailing loudly. 

“See what you did - you’ve upset the snuggle bean.” Klaus chided and clumsily uncurled himself and stood up, his knees cracking in protest. 

“Listen, listen - Easy fix, cupcake - don’t you even worry..” He moved towards her but when he was a couple feet from where she was laying her entire body spontaneously erupted into a ball of flames. 

Klaus and Ben let out screams that would make a final girl in an 80s slasher movie blush. Klaus stumbled backwards screaming and pulling at his face, he tumbled into the opposite corner with a thud - “WHAT THE SHIT!?” His voice was high pitched and hysterical. 

As he said this the flames covering her skin magically disappeared and her face lit up - apparently amused by the horrified expression on her father’s face and the squeal that just escaped his mouth. She giggled and stuffed her fist in her mouth with a coo; kicking her legs around. 

She was entirely unharmed, even the onesie and her diaper seemed completely untouched by the flames. The floor and blanket around her, however, were still partially on fire. 

The fire alarm started to beep obnoxiously as the smoke lifted towards the ceiling. Klaus could barely comprehend anything through the blood rushing through his ears. He was staring at his baby, trembling with his jaw hanging open in shock. Ben acted first, jumping up and ripping the alarm off the wall. 

At the same time neighbors all around them started shouting at them to “Shut the fuck up!” , “Quiet, Asshole!” and one lady in particular right above their heads started beating on her floor with something to shut them up. 

Kenzie’s face screwed up at the yelling and the clatter as Ben’s corporeal nature vanished and he dropped what was left of the fire alarm. The plastic pieces shattered to the floor. 

Klaus dove forward as her face turned red, “No, no, no, no, no - Shhh.. Shh.. Don’t cry- for the love of fuck please don’t cry…” He was blubbering, waving his hands around in a goofy way attempting to distract her from the angry neighbors. 

Ben was on his stomach a second later next to his brother, shifting in and out of being corporeal - “It’s okay! See?!” Ben grabbed Klaus’ face with both hands and squished it comically, making an exaggerated happy face as he did so. He squashed his brother's cheeks up and down until he was making a silly fish face; Klaus leaned into the bit and crossed his eyes. 

They paused in that position for a moment until her little face softened into an amused smile and the angry sounds turned to a confused giggle as she clapped her hands together. Ben cautiously un-squished Klaus’ face and collapsed to the tile floor, fading away from view. 

Klaus reached a tentative hand out and lightly touched the baby’s hand, he pulled back quickly “Her skin is hot…”

“Yeah, no shit - She was on fire two seconds ago!” Ben snapped in a hushed tone. 

“What? She burst into flames? I hadn’t noticed - thanks for the freaking update!” 

She pouted and reached for him as he pulled his hand away and crawled to his knees; staring dumbfounded at the infant. She squirmed, opening and closing her tiny hands wanting to be picked up. 

Klaus felt his heart melt a little. He was afraid but she didn’t understand that, she didn’t understand that she could have hurt him. She was just a baby and she was confused as to why no one was cuddling her after her tantrum. 

He extended his arms and picked her up. He ignored the intense heat that shot through his shirt and made his skin sting. 

“Klaus. Be careful.”

Klaus glanced at his brother in acknowledgement but pulled the infant to his chest and hugged her, rocking gently back and forth. His technique suggested that he was cuddling a baby; The look on his face implied that he was holding a bomb. 

“She’s my daughter, Ben - What am I supposed to do? She didn’t mean to…”

He began to hum lightly, a strange off tune melody - after a few moments he began to sing in a hushed, shaky voice. 

_“ ~ Go to sleep.  
Go to sleep  
What the hell  
just happened?  
I don’t know  
Have sweet dreams  
Of ice  
And snow  
And frozen rivers low  
Go to sleep  
Go to sleep  
Tiny demon  
Momma loves you so… ~” _

Klaus used one hand to frantically gesture for the baby mattress which Ben scrambled to bring from the next room. He continued to hum for several minutes as Kenzie drifted off to sleep, happily cooing off and on against his chest. When it seemed like she was out he softly placed her on the mattress and pulled her little blanket (The black one that she arrived from hell in) around her body. He tucked in her teddy bear next to her right arm. 

He didn’t look at his brother, he only turned to the side and stood up. He picked up the blanket that she had been laying on previously and held it up. The cute yellow and pink elephant pattern was now marred by a Kenzie shaped, smoldering hole in the middle. It was still smoking slightly. 

He moved to the sink and started the faucet; soaking the burnt fabric in the cool water. When he spoke his voice was high-pitched and trembling.

“Ben, correction… We have _one_ baby blanket…”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Ben are still reeling from Kenzie's unique talents and are trying to figure out how to move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!

“So she can light on fire – I can see the dead, Luther can crush peoples skulls. Big whoop, we’ve dealt with superpowers our whole life…” Klaus said, unconvincingly while he huddled next to the kitchen window with a cigarette hanging from his fingers. He took a deep puff of nicotine and blew it out into the outside air. He was staring intently at where Kenzie was sleeping on her mattress in the other room.

Ben sat on the counter, his legs swinging idly as his mind worked through their current situation. The night before Kenzie had burst into flames marking maybe the most surprising and terrifying moment either of them had experienced (and they’d both died!). After an hour of angry whispering and panicking Klaus still ended up on the tile floor with his pillow, curled up around his daughter because she slept through the night as long as she was with her father.

Ben had stayed up and watched her sleep, making plans that he would have to tell Klaus in the morning. His brother’s arms and face were so close to her and if something were to wake her up there was just no telling how badly she could burn him.

“Yeah, but none of us had any powers this—destructive. Except maybe me.” Then he added seriously, “Thank god you didn’t leave her at the station…”

“’God’s’ got nothing to do with this.” Klaus pointed his free hand at his brother, “She’s probably up there laughing at me and my spontaneously combusting baby as we speak.”

She stirred in her sleep and both men jumped. “She’s going to wake up anytime time – she’ll be—”

Klaus took one last puff of his cigarette and closed the window, he waved absently at his brother, “Yeah, yeah, I’m getting her food now.” He walked to the fridge and started to get her formula ready. “Maybe she just- goes all human torch when she’s angry? That’s manageable, right?”

“Yeah, except for the fact that she’s an infant and she gets upset at everything. And she’s already a clingy, fussy baby – which she definitely gets from you, by the way.” Then he added quickly, “She’s up.”

Klaus moved past his brother, giving him a nervous glance then got to his knees and laid his head down against her mattress until he was eye level with her face. “Mornin’ Bitsy-boo.” He smiled and when she turned over her face lit up and she cooed, kicking her legs out.

“Gah!”

Klaus moved over and kissed her cheek a few times adding loud “Mwah!” sounds with each peck and she giggled. He moved down and kissed her belly before scooping her up, “Someone’s stinky-stinky!” He announced.

His hands glowed blue as he stood up and Ben looked down at himself as he became corporeal. He rolled his eyes but let his brother dump the baby in his arms. He laid her down on the counter and started to change her diaper.

“So, we’re just going to pretend like nothing’s wrong?”

“What do you want me to do, Ben? Start treating her like a monster?”

Ben tossed the dirty diaper into the trash can, “No – but we need to do something, if something happens while you’re… at work… then what can I really do to stop her from burning the building down? Sometimes you’re too far away to keep me corporeal. And the fire doesn’t hurt her but smoke might. And If something collapses on her she could be really hurt..”

Klaus had gotten a part time job at an occult shop nearby, it was perfect because not only did Klaus’ notoriety in communing with the dead help his reputation there, but they also let him bring Kenzie. The shop was owned by two lovely women who had been one of the few people who were willing to give Klaus a chance.

However, it certainly didn’t pay enough to keep a roof over their heads, so Klaus did sex work on the side, they were in a bad area and it was particularly dangerous, but it paid the bills. It was something he did a lot in the past, but back then all the money would go towards drugs. 

Usually, if he could Klaus would just leave Kenzie with Ben and if he had to go out further, they would ask Miss. Perry or Miss. Hayworth from the occult shop to babysit.

“If someone can’t safely watch her then how are you going to make enough money to keep living here?”

Klaus slumped against the counter childishly, he shrugged, “I don’t know!” His voice was whiny and strung out. 

He rubbed his face and mumbled “I need a cigarette.”

“You just had one.”

“I need another one!” He snapped back.

Instead of lighting up another cigarette Klaus pulled the clean infant off the counter and started to feed her, bouncing her lightly against his chest. He glanced up at his brother who had started to smile absently, “I can see the ghost wheels turning- pray tell what’s got you in such a good mood?”

“I’ve got an idea.” Ben announced.

*******************************************

“This is a terrible idea. They’re going to throw me in a psych ward and call CPS who will then have to call the FBI who will probably call Reginald!” Klaus whispered to his brother through clenched teeth. They were standing in front of a fire station while Kenzie jabbered away happily on Klaus’ hip.

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I’m hoping that before that happens some sexy firefighter will sweep me off my feet! Preferably one that’s shirtless and sweaty.”

“Just go inside, you horny bastard.”

“That’s what she-“

“Stop talking to me! You’ll definitely be thrown in a psych ward if you keep talking to the air with a baby on your hip.”

Klaus huffed but went inside the station, the office area was disconnected from the truck dock; it was empty and quiet.

“Look, fireproof blankets. Those’ll come in handy.” Ben said softly, as if anyone would be able to hear him.

“Hm.”

“Hello.”

Klaus jumped and whipped around to see a tall woman in jeans and a black shirt with the cities fire department sewn on the chest. She had long brown hair that was in tight braids down her shoulders and a soft face with dark eyes. She also had biceps so impressive that Klaus kind of hoped she would have to pick him up and carry him to safety at some point. Or choke him to death. Either would be fine. 

“Sophie Alvarez. I’m the fire chief. How can I help you?” She shook his hand and it only hurt a lot.

He shook out his fingers “Hi! Yes – um- We – I mean, I—”

Ben leaned over, “Tell her you have to discuss a public fire concern and would like to speak in private.” He dictated a few feet away.

“Yes.?” She prompted, now looking on guard.

Klaus cringed, “Ahh… My baby can light herself on fire. I need help.” 

The woman blinked.

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned loudly.

“Okay?”

“Listen!” Klaus moved forward and she took a step back, glancing at Kenzie. Ben could see her mind working out a way to get the baby away from this lunatic without anybody getting hurt. “My name is Klaus Hargreeves. I’m one of those weird superpowered babies from the 90s, remember?” He fished in his pocket and pulled out an ID, handing it to her with a shaky hand.

She took it and looked it over, her eyebrow arched, “Okay?”

“And- And, I had my own baby, see?” He gestured to Kenzie, “And she has superpowers too! Yay me, right? Anyway, sometimes she just combusts!” He made a little explosion gesture with his hand, “And I need help so she doesn’t burn my building down – I just paid the rent!”

“I’m not on drugs anymore.” He added needlessly with a proud smile. Ben walked over and smacked his head against a beam.

To her credit she remained perfectly stoic, even straightening her back and inspecting him with concern. “I’ve heard of you.” She smiled and reached out a hand, “She’s very cute, do you mind if I hold her?”

Klaus glanced over his shoulder to his invisible dead brother, “She thinks I’m a crackhead.” He hissed.

“Because you’re acting like one!”

Klaus turned back to the fire chief, “No, you’re not understanding me – she might burst into flames. She might hurt you!”

Alvarez put her palms up placatingly, “That’s fine. I understand.” She gestured to the floor, “Do you want to set her down? Maybe she can show me? And then we can talk – I’m sure you love her very much.”

“She doesn’t believe you; she’s thinks you’re on drugs. And if you’re not careful she’s probably going to taze you when you put Kenzie down.”

Klaus turned around, “You think I don’t know that!?” He whispered. Loudly. Through clenched teeth to the empty space behind him.

Ben threw his hands up in defeat, “You know what? I hope she tazes you.”

“I’m not on drugs! I promise!”

“I don’t think you’re on drugs, I think that maybe you’re just going through a hard time.” Her voice was soft and soothing.

Klaus sighed and nodded, “I am.” He huffed in a whiny tone.

“Klaus, put her down and then make me corporeal. Let me talk to her.” Ben moved next to his brother.

Klaus looked between Ben and Alvarez for a moment, then addressed the fire chief, “Hey, so my brother wants to talk to you. I’ll put her down but please don’t taze me, bro.”

She nodded and flashed a fake, professional smile, “I promise I just want to talk to you.”

Klaus carefully set the baby down on the concrete floor, she looked around and grabbed her foot. She made a little sound of protest but otherwise didn’t seem to react. He let his hands glow blue and Alvarez actually took a step backwards in surprise.

As soon as Ben became corporeal, he stomped down on his brother’s foot; Klaus yelped loudly, “What the hell, asshole!” He snapped in a high-pitched tone grabbing his ‘injured’ extremity and hopping backwards.

As if on cue, Kenzie’s little face screwed up and she let out a wail, as her cry hit a crescendo the air around her burst into scorching flames. Thankfully, she wasn’t around anything flammable so nothing else caught on fire.

Alvarez screamed; which, to be fair, is really the only logical reaction when babies light themselves on fire. She stumbled backwards as they were hit with a wave of heat and grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall. She pointed it at the infant and then doused the flames away, the water killed the fire but didn’t seem to touch the baby who remained on the floor crying.

Klaus rushed over and picked her up, he cringed as the contact with her skin left red marks on his hands and arms. “Oh no! Uncle Ben’s a big ol’ meanie!”

Ben moved over and put a hand on the infant’s back, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt him, promise!” he said in a baby voice. In a sign of peace, he grabbed Klaus’ head and kissed his cheek, “That was bad, I know!” He consoled.

“You’re not forgiven.” Klaus snapped through the side of his mouth while still smiling at his daughter, trying to stop her cries.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Ben retorted in the same manner. 

They looked over to where the Fire chief was standing with one hand still holding on to the fire extinguisher, her mouth was open, and she was staring into the distance in apparent shock.

“Will you help us?” Klaus asked hopefully.

She looked at him then back to the scorched concrete ground. 

She nodded. “Yeah. We’ll help you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Ben talk about what kind of family they want to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is just sort of a filler chapter that I wanted to add, little mix of fluff and angst with the baby before she gets older. I hope that you guys enjoy! Thanks so much for reading!

“Are you okay?” Ben asked softly as he leaned into the bathroom door where his brother was on his tiptoes inspecting a considerable bruise blossoming around his ribs.

Klaus’ head snapped to the side and he immediately dropped his shirt, “Oh, yeah, yeah – barely a scratch – I’ll, uh, change my corner tonight.”

Ben crossed his arms and frowned, “I get that she wanted to get back at dad, but I wish she would have thought about the repercussions of –”

Klaus waved him off and brushed past him, “It’s nothing! How could she have known, you know?”

Klaus wasn’t talking about the book or anything held within, he was barely talking about the fact that after it’s worldwide release, he had been getting a lot more negative attention. He wasn’t all that well known these days but now that so many of his past exploits had been unearthed people were coming out of the woodwork. Sometimes it was just a snicker and sometimes the harassment was more intense, hence the bruised ribs.

“You know, actually, I may be able to use this to my advantage – raise my prices a little, huh?” He grinned but Ben wasn’t convinced, especially as his line of sight shifted rapidly towards the ground. 

“Are you still going to call Diego? It might be nice to have some help in case something goes wrong.”

The days before they had been going back and forth on calling Diego and telling him about Kenzie, they had also debated on doing the same thing with Allison. Klaus had basically dropped off the map when Kenzie was ‘born’ and he had wondered if anybody was looking for him or if they just thought he was dead. And wouldn’t it be nice for them to meet their niece?

Klaus’ head sort of twitched, he had been restless since he woke up, “You know- I don’t think I will - Maybe it’s for the best that we just stay out of--” He shook his hands like he was waving off excess water “--All that… Besides! We have our own family, don’t we? She has you, and we have Sophie and basically the entire fire department. We’re better off without them.”

Ben felt bad that he kind of agreed.

“Plus it lessens the risk that… You know…” He cringed just thinking about it. 

“That someone will tell Reginald about her?”

“Exactamundo, brother.”

“I get that- but - They’re still our family. They’re Kenzie’s family.” He paused, “Just because Vanya--”

Klaus turned to face his brother, clearly trying to hide his agitation with this conversation, “Listen, they don’t want me. They probably think I’m dead and they’re all just a little more relieved than they were before.” He swung his hands out in finality like a conductor “Lets just let bygones be bygones!”

It was late Saturday morning and although Klaus had worked through the night, he actually had nothing else to do. The shop was open but they didn’t schedule him, he didn’t have any money to go shopping, and it was pouring outside. This was a completely new experience - at least when they were homeless Klaus was always working towards getting them their next shelter for the coming night.

Now, it was calm save for the rain hammering against the windows - and the occasional chirp from the baby. The apartment was still depressingly empty but with the help of the fire department there were now no less than 4 fire extinguishers attached to the wall and 5 smaller portable ones lined up in the kitchen. They also had a menagerie of fire resistant blankets, of all kinds to help in case she went all bonfire on them again. 

Kenzie was currently on her stomach on a heavy blue fire resistant blanket, she was scooting herself around and letting out random syllables as she played with the few toys available. When Klaus came into the room she tilted her head up and stared at him, a cheeky grin spread across her face, “Ah! Na! Buu..” She said intently. 

“How dare you say that about my mother.” Klaus plopped down next to her and rolled onto his back. He sighed, the fact that there was nothing to snort, smoke, or fight was actually putting him severely on edge. 

She crawled slowly towards him, her chubby little body still getting used to its own functions, until she was leaning against his neck. She was drooling lightly but he ignored that as she reached over and carefully grabbed at his nose. “Woo - ah?”

“That’s my schnoz - love.”

Ben moved to the corner of the room and sat down watching the scene as she bonked her father strategically around the face while he listed off what she was currently poking or pulling. 

“Eye.”

She poked it again. 

“Ow.”

One more time. 

“That’s the eyeball, snuggle bean, I need that.”

Ben laughed, it was strange to him how they felt like such a normal little family sometimes - Sure things were weird, it was a father, his dead ghost brother, his half demon baby, in a filthy little one bedroom but it still felt so complete. Like it was always supposed to be like this. 

After a while, Klaus rolled over to his side to look at his brother, the baby rolled with him with a startled expression before settling on her back next to his stomach. “Ben, did dad ever tell you that he loved you?”

Ben snorted, “I don’t even think he was that sad when I died.” He tilted his head, “Why? Did dad tell you that he loved you?”

“No, he used to tell me that I was a waste of his time - Which I think was dad’s way of saying it.” Klaus laughed a little too hard and Ben cringed. 

“Why would you even ask that?”

He shrugged, “We’re just not much of an ‘I love you’ kind of family are we?” 

“I guess not, but when were we ever a ‘real’ family?”

Klaus didn’t respond instead he began to glance around the tiny room that they had decided would become Kenzie's when they finally have the chance to decorate. “I was thinking about having an owl theme - like some light grays and pinks, maybe?”

He twisted his head around, “She can have the toy area over there and we’ll put her bed on the back wall away from the closet where that dead factory worker is always wailing.” As if in response the ghost in the closet who had been stabbed and stored behind the thin white doors yelled bitterly. 

Ben studied his brother, “It’s not too late to start saying ‘I love you’ to her, Klaus. We can be an ‘I love you’ family if we want to.”

The séance sighed, he pointed to the windows, “We can still have short curtains, as long as she can’t reach them, it’ll probably be fine…”

“Klaus.”

He threw his hand over his side, “What?!”

“She knows you love her.”

The other man pouted, “I’m sure she does, but- I don’t know - I’m not good at this! I don’t know what I’m doing… Dad always..”

“Yeah, and look how good Dad’s parenting style turned out - One kid on the moon, one with such an obsessive hero complex that he got kicked out of the police and now roams the streets like some discount batman, one moved away and refuses to talk to anybody, one turned into a heroin addict, one’s missing, one’s dead, and one just released a best selling novel describing how awful he was- I think even you would be hard pressed to fuck up more than dad at this point.”

“If anyone could possibly fuck up more than dad, it would be me - And Kenz’ will know that soon enough.”

“Don’t say that. At least you’re here for her - that’s more than a lot of kids get… Plus, you know, we don’t experiment on her or torture her so I feel like we’ve got a leg up already.”

Klaus settled his head against the crook of his arm and watched as Kenzie drooled and chewed on her set of toy keys, “Ugh, I hate that I love her this much… It’s gut-wrenching - honestly the worst.”

Ben smirked, “She’s definitely got you whipped, that’s for sure.”

Klaus rolled to his back again and giggled, “What am I doing, Ben?”

“Klaus, literally no one who has ever met you can even begin to comprehend that question. And, I hate to break this to you but she’s not going anywhere anytime soon so… If you’ve got something to tell you her need to start doing it now.”

Klaus went still for several moments before twisting around and picking the baby up, he held her floating above his face by her middle, she wiggled and stretched happily at the ride. She curled up around his palms and stayed there watching to see what he would do next. He exhaled deeply and looked into her bright green eyes. 

“Kenzie Grace Hargreeves- I love you, very much.”

She laughed, she didn’t understand what he was saying but she was always happy to hear his voice. He did the same and Ben watched as his shoulders relaxed and for the first time in 9 months, he seemed to actually accept what was happening. Maybe it just took this long for all the drugs to get out of his system and it was just now hitting him that he was a father. 

“Aww, that felt so good to say!” He grinned, staring up at her. She wiggled in response, “I love you, Kenzie! Momma loves you!” He repeated. 

He looked at his brother “You’re right, Ben - Let’s be an ‘I love you’ kind of family!”

“Lets do it!” Ben cheered and moved a little closer to the moment, “Uncle Ben loves you too, Kenzie!”

Klaus flashed an enthusiastic face, “Did you hear that!? Uncle Ben loves you!” He curled his elbows and brought her back down to kiss her cheek, “But not as much as I do!” He cooed. 

“Ahoogah! Bah!”

“Yes, we do!” 

Ben wished more than anything that the rest of their family could see this side of Klaus - he was afraid that even if he could tell them, they wouldn't believe it.

Ben was on cloud nine when he noticed something and he sat back, his face falling, first in confusion and then in shock. He tilted his head and watched as his brother’s body lifted just a few inches off the ground and levitated there until no part of him was touching the floor. He was so enraptured by the baby that he didn’t even seem to notice. 

“Klaus…”

His brother didn’t even look at him - so caught up in his epiphany.

“You’re floating.”

“What?” He looked around. 

“Klaus, you are levitating off the ground!”

The other man’s face twisted in confusion then he looked around, and suddenly he realized what was happening. Fear washed over his face and he gasped. 

“Holy shit!” He snapped and just like that it was gone. He fell heavy to the carpet with a thud, clutching the baby to his chest. The air around her flashed like a failed lighter spark but then went cool as soon as she realized that she was okay. 

He laid there like a corpse for several moments like he was afraid that if he moved or spoke it would happen again. After a while of silence from both of them he turned his head slowly. 

“Was that Kenzie…?” He asked in a hushed voice. 

Ben’s mind raced through the scene over and over in his head - replaying the moment that Klaus started lifting off the floor- the light blue haze that surrounded him and the fact that Kenzie wasn’t floating away from him, she was just laying against him. He smirked a little, reminiscing on the harsh words that their father used to sling at Klaus and the irony of how this manifested. 

Ben shook his head. 

“I think that was you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenzie's 1st birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! "Alaskabound" wanted more of the fire department so I thought I would add this quick chapter before we move on highlighting a few of the people who are helping Klaus, Ben, and Kenzie. I hope that you enjoy!

“It’s not like she’s going to remember this, right? Nobody gives a shit about what they get at this age – we’ll just make up some stories and tell her how good it was. She won’t know the difference.” Klaus was walking fast through the outskirts of the city. He was simultaneously pulling small toys out of his jacket and pant pockets. He had been wearing a larger jacket than was necessary for the weather for the express purpose of stealing these items.

Ben had his hands in his hoodie, walking next to his brother, “I haven’t said anything – You’ve just been arguing with yourself about this the whole time.”

Klaus stopped at a trash can and started ripping the tags off what he was able to lift from the   
store which included a couple small Halloween stuffed animals, a new pacifier, a couple of plastic baby toys. The only thing he had bought was the box of diapers and either no one noticed the theft, or they were kind enough to let him just take them.

“We could edit some pictures! And we’ll make it up to her when she’ll actually give a shit – By that time maybe we won’t be living handy to handy – maybe I’ll have a sexy firefighting spouse to take care of me – one of them will have to accept my marriage proposal eventually, right?”

“Klaus, you’re late – I’m sure Glenn wants to go home. Focus.”

“We never had birthday parties growing up and we all turned out fine! Except for the whole trauma thing – and being unable to function as an adult thing… and the dead thing…”

To his credit, Klaus actually did speed up – bobbing and weaving expertly through the people, many of them already sporting Halloween costumes or pulling last minute decorations or bags of candy for the evening. He arrived at the fire station ten minutes later, the toys stuffed precariously under his arms. He went inside the office where usually they would be keeping Kenzie while they were babysitting her, he raised his arms out like he was going to announce something then his face fell as he realized that no one seemed to be around.

“That’s disconcerting.” He looked at Ben who only shrugged in response.

He dropped the toys he stole on the desk and poked around the corner, glancing around suspiciously.

“Relax – they probably just took her to the lecture area with them – check in there.”

Klaus moved through the station and the farther he explored the more alarmed he became as he found no one in the immediate area. Finally, as he came to the door to their usual meeting / update room they started hearing voices. He sped up and wrenched the door open.

He was met with the main team of firefighters that usually stay with Kenzie; they were sitting around in metal chairs. There was a table set up in the back with a large Halloween themed cake, bottles of soda and bags of ships. A small banner that said, “Happy Birthday, fireball!” hung from the edge of the table.

Around them were haphazardly covered boxes and items that were just hidden from sight. The team stopped what they were doing and look at Klaus and Ben in the doorway. Glenn Ryan, a large jovial man who would have made a great Santa Claus just with his beard and cheerful demeanor, was holding Kenzie on his lap.

He stood up and raised his free arm “There you are! We’ve been waiting for you to get here to start, man!” Kenzie sat comfortably in the crook of his arm looking ridiculously tiny against his large frame.

Klaus took a step backwards, suddenly at a loss for words – before he could properly respond Glenn pulled an arm around him and squished him against his side “If we had to wait any longer for cake I think Fireball was going to throw a fit.” He laughed, “And we all know she’s the only one here who can throw a bigger tantrum over food than me.”

Jessie Everett, a short woman with long blond hair and a personality 10 times her size – she jumped up and hopped over to Klaus – “It’s the fireball’s birthday, you didn’t actually think we weren’t going to do anything did you?”

“Listen – we get that all she’s going to care about is the cake – So we figured we’d just go all in on shit you guys actually needed.” Nova Brown, possibly the chilliest and most adaptive firefighter of the lot, with bright tattoo sleeves that went to his knuckles, grinned from his seat.

Klaus turned to his brother, “You bitch – you knew about this and you let me just –“

“And I enjoyed it, too.”

Kenzie was tucked safely in a fireproof blanket and handed over to her father – Klaus happily took her and kissed her cheek, “Seems like someone has got a bunch of firefighters wrapped around her little pinky.”

She cooed and babbled, she had yet to actually say her first words, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. She was a pretty loud baby and she would copy vowels said around her and sometimes just yell nonsense into the air.

Jessie put her hands up, “Okay! We’re doing cake first then presents. We need to eat before a call comes in and we have to leave. Liev, can you get the candle ready to light?”

Liev Vaughn was a quiet career firefighter with a shaved head and a burn scar that covered their left arm. They jumped up dutifully with a quick salute and left the room through a back door. They came back a moment later with a “1” shaped birthday candle.

“Klaus, got a spare?” They asked, making a downward flicking motion with their thumb.

He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a red lighter – he tossed it to Liev and they caught it smoothly. “Alright - let’s get this party started!”

“This is so sweet!” Klaus was pulled forward towards the table as everyone gathered around the cake.

The chief, who as always, had been standing in the back watching everything with a calculative and observing eye finally stepped forward. “Let's set her on the floor – the last time we lit up a candle she decided to copy it.”

They sat her down on Ben’s lap a few feet away from the table and Klaus settled down next to them, far enough away that he wasn’t in immediate danger if she went up in flames. She was completely enraptured by everything happening and her head was snapping back and forth as everyone got into position around her blanket. Her mouth hung open in confusion and she babbled nonsensically.

“Maybe we should just let her light her own candle – “ Nova suggested with a smirk.

“Okay, everyone get ready!” Jessie grabbed the candle and held it firmly in front of the baby while Liev got ready with the lighter.

Klaus kept his brother corporeal so that he could continue to hold her – she was grabbing onto his hand – tugging absently at his fingers and watching what they were doing.

Liev lit the candle and just a couple seconds after the wick caught Kenzie’s eyes went wide as the little flame danced. She giggled and erupted into a small ball of fire – everyone leaned backwards and waited for it to be over. As it had always been in the past, when she alights due to joy or from copying a flame – it tends to just peacefully flicker away and they are left with a normal baby.

Jessie nodded to Klaus and gave him the number one candle – he took it and brought it close to Kenzie. She reached for it and he handed it to her, keeping his hand just behind her wrist just in case she dropped it.

She looked between the little flame and Klaus, he nudged it closer “You gotta make a wish, pumpkin- pie.”

She brought the candle to her face and kissed the flame sweetly, making a little “muah!” sound as she did so. The fire sparked around her face then disappeared into a tiny trail of smoke. 

She threw her head back to look at Ben for approval, he clapped, “What did you wish for?”

“Mmm.. Bah ka—Too!”

“A million- billion dollars!? That’s what I wished for too!” Klaus leaned over and tickled her belly.

_“Happy birthday to you!  
Happy birthday to you!  
Happy birthday dear Fireball,  
Happy birthday to you!”_

Everyone clapped and cheered. Kenzie copied them with a squeal – she was loving all of this attention.

“Glenn, you couldn’t even wait till we were done with the song?”

“I bought it – you’re lucky I even left you people any.” Glenn said through a mouthful of cake.

The next several minutes were filled with people plating pieces of cake and getting everyone settled back into the half circle of chairs in the middle of the room. Klaus ended up settling in the middle with Kenzie on his lap as she attempted to eat a piece of cake. A solid 40% went into her mouth and the remaining 60% was just smashed against her face – Hand to mouth accuracy just wasn’t her strong suit yet.

Live and Jessie pulled up all of the items that had been covered in blankets and brought them to the forefront of the chairs. The chief sat down with a plate of cake and nudged Klaus, “Listen – If your brothers or sisters bought her any of this stuff first, just let us know and we’ll trade it for something else.”

Klaus shot a quick glance at his brother, “You’re too kind! And I wouldn’t worry about that - her aunts and uncles are just shit at buying presents- harkens back to the days dad would give us lumps of coal for christmas and tell us it was his heart.” He snorted as his own joke. 

She stared at him, “Okay, well, I still don’t want to bully in on her actual family time - I didn’t know if they were having a party or not so…”

Klaus smiled at her, “They came over yesterday and spent time with her - you’re golden, chief! He lied through his teeth. 

The department gave them a crib that would expand as she gets older, a small dresser, a very fancy bouncer and a toy box - all the things that Klaus just hadn’t been able to buy her even after they got into an apartment. As he read the card on the last item he could feel his chest constricting and a lump forming in his throat. 

He looked around the room at the people who had not only helped secure their home and baby sat while he was working but they had actively supported them - they didn’t treat Kenzie any differently because of her abilities, in fact they showered her in praise for it. 

Thankfully Glenn pulled him in for another good natured hug before he could do anything stupid like cry. An alarm went off and everyone got up, they patted Klaus on the back and gave Kenzie soft high fives as they jumped into action leaving only the chief behind, she stood up “I haven’t given her my present yet.”

She left for a moment then came back with a firefighter helmet, bright yellow with red straps. She placed the hat on Kenzie’s head and it just dwarfed her, coming nearly her entire face. She laughed, using her hands to push it up above her eyes.

As Klaus and Ben were watching her fondly, the Chief snapped a photo of the little family. “She’ll grow into it.” She said and shoved her phone back into her pocket. 

She reached out her hand and Klaus stood and shook it, “She could be the greatest fire fighter in the world some day - might as well start her early.” There was a soft smile on her face that Klaus couldn’t quite place. 

When she took her hand away there was a piece of paper left in Klaus’ palm. He looked at it- it was a check for 1000$. She had already walked away. He whined and quickly wiped his face. 

“What is that?” Ben asked. 

But Klaus was already following her out into the next room, “Chief - Chief!”

She turned, “What’s up, Hargreeves?”

Klaus looked at the check one more time before folding it and shoving it into his pocket. Alvarez was already uncomfortable being in the spotlight - this would only make her uncomfortable. 

He sniffled, “I don’t know how I’m going to get all this stuff home - I’m such a weak-” His voice lowered dramatically, “Weak man - I could really use someone… Maybe, I don’t know, a strong firefighter to help me?” He fluttered his eyelashes. 

“I’ll help you as long as you never do that again.” She smirked “I was already going to take you home - we can load it all up in the truck.”

Klaus clapped, “Yay! Another ride in the lesbian mobile!”

She rolled her eyes then helped - did most of the heavy lifting to load everything into the back of her blue Ram truck. Finally everything was strapped down and protected, Kenzie and her uncle Ben were settled in the back of the cab. 

“The height of this beast is a little excessive- I might need to be lifted into it…” Klaus leaned against the side of the vehicle. 

“You can levitate.”

He pouted, “It’s not the same.”

Once they were all inside the truck and beginning to drive back home, Klaus turned in his seat to look at his daughter. She was tuckered out, staring straight ahead with a bloated expression on her face with bits of orange icing staining around her mouth. 

He pulled out the small stuffed bat that he stole earlier that day and handed it to her - she made a tired sound but grabbed it nonetheless and immediately brought it to her mouth. She inspected it, squishing it around in her hands before hugging it to her belly. “Happy birthday, tiny demon.”

When he turned back around, Chief Alvarez flashed him a proud wink.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenzie's first word!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy it!

“This is exhausting!” Klaus bemoaned dramatically. 

His brother and the fire Chief, who were currently in the middle of lugging a loveseat couch up the stairs, glared at him. The chief had the higher side hefted up on her shoulder as she carefully walked backwards to the next floor; Ben was holding it from the bottom and pushing up against the gravity. 

“Don’t hurt yourself or anything…” Ben said with a grunt as they traversed another few steps. 

“I’m balancing it!” Klaus had his hands tentatively against the middle of the sofa and he was flinching everytime they shifted upwards.

“You’re not doing shit from the looks of it -”

“You’re here, aren’t you?” Klaus spat back. 

“Enough! Let’s just get this over with.” The chief grunted as they started the last turn. Everyone did what they were told. 

Sophie helped them get it into the apartment and then slid it over to the back wall. She sighed as the task was finished and glanced at her phone, “Well, I gotta go - thanks for the work out.” Despite the fact that she seemed less tired than anyone else in the room. 

Klaus skipped jovially behind Sophie as she left and locked it. He turned around and raised his arms, “It’s actually starting to look like a home!” He inspected the area, “A very fire safe home…”

They’re list was actually starting to get bigger and now included a grown up twin sized mattress along with a metal table and chairs that sat crowded in the kitchen. The musty old couch that they had bought for 20$ was a fitting addition to their mismatched aesthetic and made it look less like a drug den. The sprinkling of brightly colored baby toys and the metallic fireproof blankets that were scattered across the floor just added to the chaotic, messy feel of the place.

Klaus slid towards the new couch and looked at it like it was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. He stumbled on a toy plane that started singing as his foot met it and he moved it out of the way with a grimace of pain. He plopped down and the old springy cushions squawked under his weight. He brushed his fingers over the fabric.

“We’ll need to cover that thing in blankets – If she lights up even close to it that thing will go up like a Christmas tree.”

“That’s why we got the small one – If this one survives; we can try a bigger one.”

“We got the small one because we couldn’t afford the 35$ for the other one.” Ben said dryly.

Klaus waved his hand, “Whatever, I—” He sounded for a moment like he was going to say something sincere but instead he curled over and leaned against the arm of the couch.

Ben made a face, “Don’t put your face on that- you don’t know where it’s been.”

Klaus laughed, “Ben, I have woken up in an alley with somebody else’s used band aid stuck in my hair – I think I’ll survive this.”

“We still need to clean it within an inch of its life before Kenzie starts climbing on it.”

“She _does_ like to put everything in her mouth—” Klaus conceded but instead of jumping up and immediately starting on that task he closed his eyes and hummed into the musty fabric.

Ben rolled his eyes, “I’m bleaching it and if you’re still on it I’m bleaching you too.” He said and moved into the kitchen.

“Hmkay…” He said, unbothered.

Ben was still in the kitchen getting ready to sanitize their new addition and Klaus was about to doze off when the phone rang, and Klaus mumbled in protest. He begrudgingly reached over and looked at the caller Id, it was Sophie, so he flicked his thumb and answered it.

“Did you miss us?”

“Klaus! Klaus, I need you to—” Her voice cut out. She sounded more frantic than he had ever   
heard her.

“Chief?”

“—I’m on the way to the hospital with—” There was another voice in the background, but he couldn’t recognize the voice through the static of the rain. Sophie seemed to be talking to them just a few inches from the phone.

Klaus sat up, suddenly alert “You’re going to the hospital? Chief, I can’t understand—” Just as he finished the word something large and hairy brushed past his ankles from underneath the couch and ran out into the room. A rat twisted around and stared directly at him, it’s eyes wild with terror and confusion.

He screeched and bounced up on the cushions as the phone went flying from his hand. The startled rat skittered away down the small hall into Kenzie’s room.

Ben’s head popped up from over the edge of the counter, “What the hell! You’re going to wake up Kenzie!”

Klaus was pointing frantically to where the rodent had been just a moment before, “Rat – There’s a rat! Oh my god It’s going to eat the baby!” he dragged his fingers down his face in panic.

“Rat?”

Klaus jumped down off the couch and grabbed a broom off the wall, “Yes! Rat – It ran into the baby’s room…” He whined and started stalking towards the bedroom.

Ben followed closely behind his brother, “Where did a rat come from!?”

“From the fucking couch!” Klaus hissed and poked the door wider open with the end of the broom.

They cautiously peaked inside – despite all the frantic chaos that was happening, the room was peaceful – Kenzie had sat up in her crib and was looking around; curious as to all the sudden commotion. There was a gentle melody playing in the background and nothing but the 14-month-old was moving.

“Moobah – kah!” She said as they entered her room, she was holding onto her teddy bear; drooling absently on its ear.

They inspected the room and Klaus, as if the floor was made of hot coals skipped to the edge of her bed and looked inside. She reached up for him, but he only patted her on the head and turned holding the broom aloft.

“It’s not a predator – It probably won’t actively attack her.” Ben reminded him but he skulked around just the same, turning over toys.

“Probably!? That doesn’t make me feel any better! It _probably_ has rabies!” Klaus hissed through clenched teeth.

Ben tapped her little gray and pink dresser with his foot and the rat scurried out of it between his legs and through the room- It scrambled to open the folding door to the closet and then disappeared inside. The grown men screamed and jumped out of it’s way, Klaus levitated about 3 feet off the floor and started smacking the ground in its wake. ‘

“Shit!”

“What are _you_ scared of? You’re already dead!” Klaus snapped, holding the broom like a bayonet.

“It surprised me is all!” Ben snapped back.

Kenzie giggled hysterically from her bed and pulled herself up- she was watching the show from her little perch behind the rungs of the crib with delight. 

Klaus jerked the handle of the broom towards the closet, he was still curled up, hovering in the air – “Well, go get it, Casper! I’ll be the lookout.”

Ben groaned but he hesitantly approached the closet and opened the creaky plastic door, the rodent was scratching at the back wall trying desperately to escape. His brother was creeping up just over his shoulder looking at it with a look of half pity, half horror. The ghost reached out towards it, “It’s okay- little guy, we’ll get you out of here…”

His soothing had little effect on the creature and as he got closer to it pressed against the wall and shot at Ben at lightning speeds. Klaus screamed and as he lost his concentration he plummeted to the floor. The rat ran straight through the ghost’s fingers as he lost his corporeal nature. Klaus fell through his body.

Klaus shuddered but was surprisingly quick when the rodent bolted towards the crib- he dove forward and grabbed the rodent. It squealed and started biting into the side of his hand, he held on to it stubbornly and scrambled to his feet as it gnawed on his skin.

“Shit, shit, shit, fuck, fuck, fuck!” He bolted through the apartment with Ben hot on his heels. They struggled with the locks as Ben kept phasing in and out but eventually Klaus was able to run the creature down the stairs and release it just outside the door. It disappeared down the sidewalk.

As they came back into their apartment and slammed the door Klaus held up his hand and stared at it in horror. There were about 5 or 6 deep bite wounds over his hand and thumb and blood was pouring out of them and down his arm.

Ben put his hands up placatingly before his brother could start freaking out, “It’s fine.”

Too late.

“I have rabies, Ben!” 

He moved inside and held the bleeding appendage over the sink, “Oh my god… Kenzie’s going to have to take me out back and shoot me like Old Yeller!”

“It’s fine – You’ll go rabid long before she’s old enough to hold a gun.”

Klaus tilted his head, “You know, it’s so sweet how you take care of me, brother!” He snapped, his voice dripping in sarcasm. “Oh my god…” He continued to whine as the blood trickled down the sink.

“Listen, worse things than that rat have tried and failed to kill you- just stay calm—”

“I AM CALM!!”

Ben cringed at the volume, “Stay calm- wash it off, and wrap it in a hand towel – Kenzie’s already awake, we get her ready and we’ll go to the emergency room.”

Klaus was taking deep breaths, as If this was even close to the worst thing his body had endured, “Okay- okay –“ He looked up at his brother, “Can I hold Kenzie? What if I’m contagious?”

“You’re not contagious- dumbass, just go and get her- we’ll put up the money for a taxi.”

Klaus did as he was told, he washed the bites out with water and then with much protest allowed Ben to pull a hand towel tight around his hand. When they went back into Kenzie’s room she was still standing, her knees bending and unbending to the music – she was staring at the door and her face lit up when her father and uncle came in like a whirlwind.

With the help of Ben, Klaus was able to shove a few things into the diaper bag, including a portable fire extinguisher. They kept glancing over at the toddler nervously, but watching them struggle seemed to have put her in a jolly mood. 

Klaus finally stood up and swung the bag over his shoulder, “Okay- here we go – ladybug…”

She threw her hands up and exclaimed “Shit!”

There was a long pause as they registered the first notable word the child had ever said.

Ben closed his eyes, “Oh my god…” He said defeatedly.

Klaus doubled over laughing despite everything that was happening. “What did you say, snuggle pumpkins?” He wheezed

“Klaus, don’t—”

“Shit!” She repeated happily.

“That’s what I thought you said!” He busted up laughing again. 

“Let’s just go—”

Ben helped Klaus as best he could even though he continued to phase in out of physicality. They hailed a Taxi and after sitting in the emergency room for an hour they were brought back to see a doctor. They were concerned with Klaus’ condition but after a few tests he was quickly cleared, and his hand was bandaged up properly.

Finally, it was the end of the day and they were standing at the checkout desk while the curly haired woman behind the glass clicked through his paperwork. Klaus sat tiredly in the chair with the toddler in his lap. 

The woman glanced up as she pulled up his information, she made an amused ‘humph’ sound and started to print it out, “You’re the second Hargreeves I’ve seen in here today.” She said absently. 

Klaus and Ben exchanged looks.

The woman slid over a packet for Klaus to take home. She smiled sweetly at the baby and waved at her, “Bye- bye cutie!”

Kenzie tossed her arms up and yelled at the top of her lungs. “Shit!”

The receptionist sat back and frowned. Ben just walked away and Klaus pressed a proud kiss to the top of his daughter’s head and shrugged at the woman behind the glass, “Shit happens, right?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visitor bearing gifts and maybe a second chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thank you guys so much for reading! All your comments have been just the best and I appreciate them so much!! I hope that you enjoy this one!

“Here, let me get that –”

Vanya moved out of the way and Sophie moved ahead of her to help with the lock on her apartment door. The fire chief had been dutifully not letting her do anything both during the ride back and on the way up to her home despite Vanya’s assurance that she was fine.

Sophie opened the door and stepped to the side to let her through first. Vanya smiled shyly at the ground and moved past her, careful not to brush her dislocated arm against the doorframe. 

When the firefighter didn’t move, she turned around, “You can come in, if you want.” She nodded and stepped inside.

“You can just put those anywhere – thank you, by the way, for carrying those.”

“Well, I owe you for not absolutely freaking out on me – “ She laughed a little nervously which was strange to Vanya, this woman was obviously a leader, she held herself proud and confident but she had a certain sweetness about her that was surprising.

“And again, I am. So sorry.” She cringed, “For hitting you with my truck.”

Vanya bit her lip and looked down, “It’s okay – I shouldn’t have been walking there and I should have been paying attention. No harm, no foul, right?” She chuckled awkwardly.

“Well, you did dislocate your shoulder and get road rash down the right side of your body – so there was definitely some harm.” She put a hand out, “But, I’ll make it up to you – if there’s anything you need just let me know.”

Vanya hesitated, “Actually… I’ve got to pick up groceries some time this week and with…” She held up her arm in the sling.

“I’ll help you! We can take my truck and I promise I won’t run you over again.”

Vanya laughed, “I’d like that.”

“It’s a date – er – appointment – I’ll help you with your groceries.” Sophie’s eye twitched slightly and she grinned, a slight blush trailing up her cheeks.

“Also – I’m sorry about the whole…” She waved her hand, “Other thing. I wasn’t aware of the whole dynamic happening and I should have kept my mouth shut. I just thought— Well, it doesn’t matter what I thought.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you told me – and thanks for looking out for them.”

“Well, you Hargreeves do tend to just fall into my lap so—”

Vanya nodded and they said a few awkward goodbye’s, as she shut the door behind the fire chief she sat back against it and sighed heavily. There were several things going through her mind. The first of which was the ache thrumming through the side of her body that hit the pavement, the second was the butterflies in her stomach when she thought about seeing Sophie again, and the third was whether or not she should act on the information that had been thrown on her that day.

Before dealing with any of that she decided she would get a cup of coffee and maybe take some Advil.

********************************************************

“Klaus, when you act like this you’re just teaching her that if she cries her mommy will come and coddle her.” Ben stepped out of the way as his brother and niece came through to the living room. The toddler had fallen and then started having a complete meltdown – literally, she melted an entire Thomas the Train Engine in 30 seconds.

Klaus had her wrapped in a heavy blue blanket a few moments later and was now consoling her in the same over the top manner that he did everything.

“Jeez, Ben – what am I supposed to do when she gets hurt? Just leave her on the floor to burn herself out?”

Ben couldn’t hide the small smirk that came over his features, “She didn’t get hurt, she just fell over. She got more upset because you made a big deal out of it – She acts out more when you’re here because she knows you’ll cuddle her every time she gets upset.”

“Oh, and when did you write a parenting book, Ben?” He tried to put her back down in the play area and then proving Ben’s point, she clung on to his shirt stubbornly until he gave up and continued to hold her.

Ben held his hand up as if his point was proven and Klaus made a face. A knock at the door made them both look over.

“It’s probably Leon – You want me to take her?” Ben offered.

Leon was a guy that had started hanging around the shop more and more when Klaus was working. He was better than most of the scum that Klaus usually attracts so Ben was supportive when he had started walking with Klaus back to the apartment. He figured his brother deserved to have a relationship, especially with someone who wasn’t volatile like the women he had dated in the past or aggressive like the men he had dated.

“Yeah, how do I look?” Klaus made a pose, toddler still on his hip.

“You’ve got cheese in your goatee.” Ben said matter of factly.

“No, I don’t- oh shit I do…” Klaus inspected his face in the small mirror on the wall and rubbed away at the food Kenzie had no doubt put on his face.

After some finagling they untangled the child from Klaus and Ben took her to play in her room. Klaus straightened out his skirt and checked his breath on his palm before swinging the door open with a confident smile. His eye line dropped about a foot and his face fell as he saw his sister standing a few feet away, holding two large bags in one hand while her other arm was in a blue sling. She was shifting nervously in place.

She looked up and smiled, “Hi.”

Klaus’ mouth opened then closed and he glanced around uselessly. He stood up a little straighter and flashed a confused smile, “Vanya! Hey! What are- how- how are you doing, little sis?” He leaned against the doorway.

“I’m good! I um..” Her words fell flat and they both went silent for a few moments.

Klaus laughed, “How did you find me? I haven’t heard from you in –” He blew air loudly through his lips, “2 and half years?”

She nodded, finally looking at him, “Well, I met Chief Alvarez – well, she hit me with her vehicle and then just accidentally told me how you were doing.”

His face fell and immediately Vanya put her hand up, “Please don’t be mad at her – I was in the area and she thought I was going to visit my niece.” She paused and looked away, “I told her I didn’t know that I had a niece…”

“Vanya-“ Klaus’ voice was heavy.

“Look, I get it, I do. But we’ve been worried about you, me and Diego- Not that he’s talking to me anymore… I thought maybe you were hurt or with bad people or that you died and we just didn’t know…” She swallowed, “So finding out that you’re safe and that you’ve got your own place now was great! It was really great..”

“And you’re a dad now! That’s so great. You got sober and you stepped up – I’m proud of you.” She smiled sweetly.

Klaus seemed distracted, his shoulders tense, “Vanya, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything we did to you- the pushing you away, I stole from you, I lied to you – I’m sorry. I really am! But please don’t tell anyone about us – I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ve still got hook ups, weed, hookers, any drug you want – I’ll get it for you..” He was pleading, babbling away.

Vanya tilted her head in confusion, “Klaus… I’m not trying to threaten you…?”

“Vanya, he can’t know about my little girl…” His voice broke slightly.

A look of realization dawned on her, “Is she special, like you guys?” She asked hesitantly.

He blinked and nodded.

“I haven’t spoken with dad since I left. I don’t want to hurt you guys – and If you don’t want me to meet her, I get it. But I missed the baby shower and I missed you moving in so I thought I would bring something to make up for it.” She held out the two bags, one was pink and one was black.

He tentatively reached out to take the bags, he looked down at them as Vanya’s hands clasped in front of her nervously. There were several moments of silence between them. 

When he looked up he smiled and jerked his head towards the inside of the apartment, “So the Chief hit you?” He started casually. 

Vanya hopped inside happily, “Yeah, I was walking across the road and I wasn’t paying attention- someone got into a fight behind us and she just grazed me with her truck – I’m actually glad she did.”

Klaus set the bags on his little table, “So are you gay now or..?”

“What?!” Vanya laughed and pushed the strand of hair that fallen out of her ponytail away from her face.

“Oh don’t look at me like that, she has that effect on people.”

“Well, it was kind of nice when she picked me up and put me in the truck…”

Klaus stomped his foot, “You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ve been trying to get her to carry me for a year! I’ve collapsed in front of her in a pile of distress and all she could lend was a hand - it’s not fair!”

Vanya grinned, shrugging her shoulders innocently, “I don’t know- I guess you’ll just have to get run over..”

Klaus hummed bitterly then got distracted by the black bag, he gestured to it and she nodded excitedly, “Open it! That’s the housewarming gift.”

A moment later there was white paper being ripped away and Klaus dug in, a moment later he lifted out a boxed waffle maker. She stood perfectly stoic as he turned it around in his hands and read the label, after a moment she spoke up, “I got the mix and the syrup for it too... “

Klaus looked up, “It’s perfect- We can make waffles just like mom used to do!”

Vanya’s face lit up and she nodded quickly, “Do you want to open the other one? It’s for- the little one.She may already have it- I wasn’t sure what to get.”

“Oh, well, she goes through toys like wildfire so I’m sure she’ll love it while it lasts.”

“And! I can just go get her!” He threw his hands up, “She's like a whole little person! It’s insane!” He ran to the back room and disappeared behind the door while Vanya waited patiently

A few moments later he came in with a toddler on his hip and approached the table that Vanya was currently using as a security blanket. “This - Is my little Kenzie.”

Vanya tilted her head slightly to look at her, “She’s beautiful, Klaus.” She said simply and cautiously reached out. 

Kenzie did the same and grabbed her aunt’s fingers, inspecting the scene in front of her with curiosity. 

“Kenz’, this is your aunt Vanny, she’s here to make sure you’re getting your waffles! Say thank you!”

Kenzie had a finger in her mouth staring around, she blinked then said confidently, “Shit.”

Klaus shrugged casually, “I don’t know where she gets that mouth from.”

Vanya lifted up the bag, “Kenzie, I got you a late birthday present - I hope that you like it.”

Ben was still invisible and he padded around to the back of the kitchen while Klaus started to help his daughter pull out the paper from the gift bag. He crossed his arms, and watched his sister closely, half suspicion and half something softer clouded his features. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Klaus?”

“Who am I to say no to presents.” Then he added more softly over his shoulder, “It’s not her fault - I don’t think she wants to hurt us, Ben.”

Vanya gave her brother a questioning glance but didn’t have a chance to comment before Kenzie pulled out a brightly colored keyboard made for toddlers. Kenzie immediately slammed all of her fingers over the keys and it made a chaotic jingle. The child shrieked excitedly as Klaus put it on the table and let her explore it closer. 

Klaus looked up at his sister, “Oh, I see - so this was your ultimate revenge - Touché, little sister, touché.”  
Ben had not stopped staring at Vanya the entire interaction, finally he spoke up, “Klaus, can you make me corporeal.”

“There’s a button in the back that lowers the volume.” She said with a laugh as Kenzie started wailing in the keys in earnest.

Klaus sighed and let his hands glow blue, a moment later Ben’s form began to take shape a few feet away from them. Vanya was so busy watching her niece that she didn’t notice anything until Ben took a step forward and she snapped her head in his direction. 

She gasped and took a step backwards as Ben stopped in the middle of the floor with a sheepish look on his face. She took him in and then raised her hand; he did the same. She inched closer until their fingers touched, “Oh my God… Ben..”

As Vanya intertwined their fingers, Ben covered his face with his other hand and let out a sob. She pulled him in and he clung to her desperately, burying his face in her shoulder, “I’ve missed you so much, Vanny…” He whimpered and she gripped him tighter. 

They remained there for a while, every time Ben would move to step away she pulled him back in, their beautiful moment of reunion was composed by the farm animals noises being played in a C scale a few feet away. 

“I can’t believe you’re really here..”

“I never went away, Vanya - I’ve been here the whole time.”

Vanya finally broke away and looked at Klaus who was pointedly looking away from the scene and instead watching his daughter on the keyboard. She wiped her face with her uninjured hand, “Klaus?”

He looked up, “Ja?”

“Can I stay a little longer?”

He snorted, “Well, obviously - we’re having waffles for dinner - and I don’t know how to use a waffle maker , so… You do the math.” 

Ben held out his arm, “Come here-” and a moment later Klaus and Kenzie joined the hug and their little family got a little bit bigger.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's October 1st but Klaus isn't having the best birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So this is sort of a filler chapter because I felt my planned chapter was too abrupt. Just an update, I think we're looking at 2-3 more chapters until DAAAAAVE! shows up - I am so excited to introduce him and I know everyone has been wondering where he is - trust me - he is a big part of the second half! Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy! 
> 
> PS. I don't think that this one has any 'trigger' warnings but I wasn't sure so I've added those in the end notes if you're worried :)

Klaus rounded the corner; he was moving quickly from the alley while simultaneously stuffing the cash he got from his last-minute john into his pants. It was around 3 In the morning and he was on the other side of the city – normally he wouldn’t go out this far, especially in the cold, but  
Leon was passing through and had agreed to give him a ride home.

It was harder for him to get around these days, so many people he avoided. Old contacts that would try to pull him back into drugs with just a sample here and there – ‘for old times sake’. He had often been tempted to start selling drugs, but it was too hard to resist popping whatever was in his pocket, so he gave up on that. And taking anything that required money was just out of his budget, leaving the good old-fashioned walk as the best, if not the most dangerous, option. 

Leon’s car pulled up and Klaus grinned, rubbing his hands together rapidly trying to warm them up- he was in a light jacket, but it was more for the aesthetic than the practicality. He hopped in and was immediately overwhelmed by the warmth of the heater and he sighed, sinking into the leather seat.

Leon was watching him silently, on hand on the steering wheel. He was a pleasant looking guy, with short hair and face that always looked slightly distracted. He had taken an interest in Klaus a few months prior and he seemed pleasant enough to be around. He was also considerate enough that although he drank, he didn’t try to rope Klaus back into those old habits.

Klaus leaned over to press an affectionate kiss on the other man’s cheek, but he leaned away, giving him a strange look. He put a hand up, “I don’t know where that mouth has been – “He said it with a thin awkward laugh at the end.

“I wasn’t going to tongue fuck you- Just a quick peck on the cheek for my savior – savior from this awful season.” Klaus made a few obnoxious smooching sounds. He laughed as his boyfriend nudged him away with his elbow.

Leon rolled his eyes and began driving again.

It wasn’t long before Klaus felt the overwhelming need to fill the silence, “I hope you weren’t waiting too long – I had a surprise client that I couldn’t turn down – quick romantic handy in the alley.” He smirked then added a little more solemnly, “Otherwise I would have been there waiting. Promise.”

The driver grimaced, “I don’t want to hear about it, Klaus.”

Klaus sighed and slapped his legs, “Oh, so you get to come by and tell me all the drama at the accounting firm, but I tell you one thing about my night and it’s a no go. I see.” Despite his airy and casual tone which could have been mistaken for sarcasm, there was a venom in his words that he instantly regretted.

“Well, you’re a whore, so it’s different.”

Klaus turned and glared out the window but didn’t respond, he missed the days when words and people’s opinions would just roll off the haze in his mind. Relationships were easier when there was a singular goal and he couldn’t remember any specifics about that person.

After a couple moments Leon sighed, squeezing his hands around the steering wheel, “What I’m trying to say is – You should be able to make money doing something else. I get that this is your lifestyle but this—” He gestured to Klaus, “Just looks bad on you and it also looks bad on- “

“On you?” Klaus accused.

Leon glared at him, “Looks bad on Kenzie.”

Klaus scoffed, “Having a place to sleep doesn’t look bad on anybody – also, for your information, I like sex work. I have a lot of lovely, steady clients…” After a moment he stuck his finger out, “And! I don’t want Kenzie to end up being all judgy about how people choose to make a living.”

“She’s going to end up being a stripper at this rate.”

Klaus lulled his head, “Oh thank God, you’ve arrived to show us the error of our ways – What would I have done if you hadn’t come into my life and turned me into a proper man?! Stop by the mall – I need to pick up a briefcase and a disdain for life – I’ll let my daughter know today that from now on – dad’s going to be working 12 hours a day and I’ll see her through Skype when she graduates – I’m sure she won’t turn into a stripper then!” He slumped his body over and Leon shoved him off his shoulder.

“Also, her body, her rules. I’m a feminist, bitch.” He stuck out his tongue to drive the point home.

Leon clenched his hands around the wheel, “Listen, the fact that I’m not okay with you whoring yourself out all over town doesn’t make me the bad guy – the fact that sometimes I don’t even want to touch you because I don’t know who else has been there is a legitimate concern!”

“You knew I was a hooker on the side when we started dating!”

“I didn’t think It was going to be a permanent thing! Okay? I thought-“

“What? That you were going to ‘Roxanne’ me?”

Leon groaned, “Would you just let me speak!”

Klaus laughed, he didn’t really mean to, it just came out, “Look, If I had known you were going to lecture me I wouldn’t have asked for a ride.”

Leon’s gaze shifted towards his passenger and he stomped on the break sending both of them forward. Klaus, who wasn’t expecting the sudden stop, snapped forward painfully against the seatbelt. He rubbed his chest, “Ow, what the hell?”

“I think that’s a good idea, why don’t you get out.”

Klaus glanced between Leon and the dark street outside, “What?”

“I said. Get out.”

The passenger’s mouth dropped, “We don’t have to keep talking about this- Leon, I’m sorry! We-we can work something out! Maybe after we get some sleep, yeah? Have clear heads and all—”

“GET OUT!”

Klaus jumped, slinging off his seatbelt. As soon as his door was open Leon shoved him out onto the sidewalk. The door shut and he peeled away.

Klaus stood there for a few moments in shock before flipping the bird at the taillights disappearing over the hill, “Asshole!” He yelled but nobody could hear him.

He looked around only to realize that he didn’t know where he was or how far, exactly, he was from the apartment. Klaus shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and began the long walk home, glaring holes into the pavement as he trudged forward.

****************************************************************

“Bro, look, I’m telling you- They’re aliens!” Nova said through the spoonful of peanut butter that he just shoved into his mouth.

“All these poor women just spontaneously have babies that look human but have strange and mysterious abilities? It should have been game changing! But instead all these governments just sweep the whole incident under the rug and move on? All those kids were part alien - I promise you and the government doesn’t do anything, either because they knew it was going to happen or because they’re the ones who allowed it.”

Liev was sitting back against the love seat watching their coworker pacing in the kitchen with a calm amusement. “It’s more concerning that you aren’t high right now.”

“Klaus is part alien! And so is fireball! Maybe because of an experiment to mix with earthlings or maybe just some last ditch effort to save their species-“ He pointed his spoon at the other firefighter “-Either way, the aliens are already among us – I bet they’re already controlling most governments in the world!”

Liev rolled their eyes, “Not the lizard people thing again…”

“So really it’s not that surprising that they allowed these babies to be born half human.” He shrugged, “Pretty soon, most people will probably have alien DNA.”

Nova plopped down on the couch next to his coworker. It was around 6 in the morning and he had been on babysitting duty that night, they had been expecting Klaus to come back earlier so Liev had shown up early to pick him up – which worked out perfectly for the conspiracy theorist.

“So Fireball’s an alien?”

“She can’t help it! And like I said, it will be the new norm as they start to infiltrate and spread.”  
Ben was sitting cross legged on the table, invisible to the visitors on the couch, he was leaning forward with his chin on his palm with a grin listening to them talk. He was starting to get a little concerned about where his brother was, but he brushed it off, they probably just swung by Leon’s house first.

“I can’t believe Chief picked you for this assignment.” Liev said with a smirk.

“I’m the MOST qualified! I’ve been studying this shit for years – Plus babies love me, I’m the favorite uncle to all of my nieces and nephews.”

Their conversation was interrupted by sounds coming from the back bedroom.

“Speak of the devil-“Nova jumped up and went to the back room, Ben and Liev immediately heard him announce happily, “Good morning, Fireball!”

Ben glanced in alarm as the front door handle jiggled for a strangely long amount of time before Klaus finally opened it and came inside, shutting it quickly behind him. He straightened up and looked around the room, immediately his arms wrapped around his middle. His body was shaking violently, and his teeth were chattering as he shuffled into the kitchen.

“I thought Leon was going to give you a ride?” Ben asked, suddenly worried.

Klaus barely glanced at him, basking in the heat coming from the vent just over his head, “He had a family emergency.”

“Jesus christ – so you walked home? I thought you said you were working around 43rd Street.”

Klaus bent over and sighed, “Just a quick jaunt through the park really.”

Liev stood up, “Jeez, man, I wish I would have known – I was already out here picking Nova up.”

Klaus waved a hand, “It’s fine- I needed the fresh air.” His words were punctuated by the chattering of his teeth.

“Everyone look out! The fire is not contained!” Came Nova’s voice from the back just as Kenzie plodded into the living room in a pair of footie pajamas and a wild case of bedhead. The toddler’s head swiveled around the area, taking in all the adults standing around.

“Oh, that’s exactly what I needed!” Klaus nearly dropped to his knees.

Kenzie ran towards him with her arms stretched out in front of her, “G’ Morin, Mama!”

He laughed and scooped her up, snuggling her closely into his chest, “Oh my god, you’re so warm…” He clung onto her desperately for several moments. 

“Good morning, snuggle pumpkins.” He shifted her to his hip and then tried to brush his fingers through her hair to flatten it down, the black curls bounced back almost immediately.

“Did you have a good night?”

She nodded, “Uh-huh

Ben inspected his brother, he didn’t look like he was hurt but something didn’t quite add up, especially since he was being so dismissive about whatever happened.

Nova noticed as well as he came back into the living room, “Shit, man-“ Liev smacked him and he tried again “Damn, man!” Liev did the same thing, “Well, I’ll be!” He said in a thick hillbilly accent causing Kenzie to immediately cackle.

“You’re, like, blue right now – You good?”

Klaus begrudgingly put his daughter down so she could make her rounds through the group, waving first at her uncle Ben. “Fantastic. Just, going to take a bath- the hottest bath possible.” He mumbled weakly, moving past them towards the bathroom.

“Thanks for watching the munchkin…”

Ben watched him go with a frown, “Hey, Klaus.”

His brother bounced against the hallway wall to look at him through lidded eyes, “Moi?”

“Happy birthday.”

He huffed, “Same to you, utero buddy.”

***************************************************************

“So, what happened?” Vanya was leaned up against the wall of the tiny apartment kitchen. She had come over with cupcakes as a sort of acknowledgement of their shared birthday. They weren’t much for celebrating but Klaus wasn’t one to say no to free cupcakes.

Klaus turned from the stove with a sigh and put down Kenzie’s dinner of Macaroni and cheese and broccoli in front of her. He immediately started cutting up the veggies into small chunks while the toddler watched him impatiently.

“I got into a fight with Leon, last night – this morning, whatever.”

She crossed her arms, scanning over his face, “He didn’t hurt you, right?’

Klaus waved his GOOD BYE palm casually and sat down in the other metal chair next to his daughter who had begun to happily chow down on the pasta. “No, no, nothing like that – It was late, very little sleep, and I wanted to pick a fight – you know how it is...”

He rubbed his face; it was around 5 in the evening and he was planning on working again once he put Kenzie to bed. He had tried to sleep but only caught about 3 hours before he started a small shift at the shop.

“It happens, couples fight.” She smiled sweetly, “Have you guys talked since then?”  
He nodded, “Yeah, he called me. He apologized – it was all very sweet, and he asked if he could come by this weekend.”

“And what did you say?”

“Totally! Longest relationship I’ve even been in – want to keep the ball rolling!” He stretched and yawned.

“I’m glad – he seems like he’s a pretty good influence on you.” Vanya felt awkward talking about this but both of them had been working through the supportive sibling role.

“Oh, he’s lovely! And I’ve had some doozies in the past. I know how to pick ‘em!” He laughed, 

“And I know all the best ways to poke the bear- what did dad used to say? That I was ‘incurably insolent’?” He mimicked his father’s voice and they both giggled.  
Klaus sighed, slumping against the chair and shrugging, “Can’t help It – At a certain point they just snap – my record was with a girl I got with – after 8 hours she tried to cut my ear off.” He whined fondly, “Stacy was wild…”

“Maybe it’s because growing up all the attention you received was negative so now the only love you can recognize is toxic and abusive – Just like our father. Like maybe you’re attracted to people who are cruel to you because you unconsciously recognize the patterns that dad instilled in us and it’s familiar and comfortable to you?”

Klaus made a gagging sound, “Calm down, tiny Freud.” Then he added with a smirk, “I see your therapy is working.”

“My offer still stands - You can always come with me.”

He waved a hand, “Oh I’ve done plenty of therapy and counseling - I know all the tricks I just don’t, as Ben always says, care to use them!”

Vanya inspected her brother, she was never good at seeing through his lies and although she was pretty sure he was hiding something from her - she didn’t want to prod, she didn’t want him to shut down even more than he already had when it came to these types of conversations. 

“Well, I hope that Leon’s different - we all deserve to have someone that is…” She thought about it for a couple of moments, “Good to us.”

Klaus didn’t look at her, just continuing to lean against his hand tiredly, “Oh, I’m sure he is - he’s had enough patience to put up with me this long..”

Kenzie put her spoon down and looked up, effectively ending the adults' conversation. “Can I ‘ave a cupcake?”

Klaus rolled his finger over the broccoli piled on her plate, “Gotta eat your greens, kiddo, then you can have a cupcake.”

“I don’ wike that!” She pointed to the vegetable.

“Well, neither do I! But you have to eat your veggies because—” He waved his hand trying to come up with a reason, “Because, I don’t know, you’ll get scurvy or something. It’s like two sprouts, just humor me.”

“What’s Scuvvy?”

“It’s a disease where – you know what, never mind – just trust me, you don’t want it.”

She pouted and kicked her legs out, “I’m full.”

“Okay, so you don’t want a cupcake?”

“I wan’ a cupcake!”

Klaus fanned his hands out, “Fantastic! All you have to do to get a cupcake is to eat the green stuff and then we both get what we want! You get dessert and I don’t have CPS called on me.”

His face remained in the same exaggerated smile as she burst into flames in front of him, scorching the metal chair she was sitting on. He sighed, “That’s what I thought you’d say…”

Vanya yelped and looked away, “God, I’ll never get used to that!”

Klaus used the metal fork to pierce a chunk of broccoli and lazily stick it into the fire around her shoulder, “Yeah… Freaked me out the first couple hundred times or so too.”

He patted the flame away from the top of her head with an oven mitt and held out the newly blackened square of vegetable, “What about flame broiled broccoli?”

She just burned brighter, little face screwed up in a tantrum.

Klaus exhaled, "I'll take that as a no..." He leaned back in his chair, "Ben!?"

***************************************************************************************************

Klaus was truly so tired he felt like he would collapse. He realized the irony that finally he was living a life where he desperately needed energy only to have stopped taking the chemicals that would help him. It really wasn’t fair. 

It was around midnight and he hadn’t been out very long, he had scheduled with a particularly rough client and was coming from that now, debating on whether he could get by just going home early. He felt like he would never get warm again. 

He was cutting through an alley to an area that was closer to the apartment when he heard the crunch of slow deliberate footsteps behind him - certainly not the uncoordinated steps of someone coming from the bar. 

He turned and squinted into the darkness, someone was standing at the edge, their silhouette was outlined by the streetlights across the road. He could make out enough features to conclude that this was either a leather dom with a knife play fetish on their way to a dungeon or someone with enough daddy issues that they thought dressing like that and fighting crime was a viable lifestyle. 

Despite the nervous thrum in his chest, Klaus took a step forward, cupping his mouth with his hands and calling out obnoxiously loud. 

“Batman?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings!  
> *Abusive / manipulative behavior  
> *Mentions of past domestic violence  
> Pretty minor in the story but I was concerned - Love you guys!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy!

“Klaus?” Two’s voice was hopeful but he remained in the same spot. 

Klaus’ shoulders slumped in relief, it had been a long time since he had heard his brother’s voice and it affected him more than he thought it would. Maybe it was because he was so tired and it had been such a shit day but he felt a lump in his throat as he tried to speak. 

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” He said, desperately trying to hide the fact that he was close to tears. 

Diego came towards him quickly, his face was blank and firm as always – not letting any excitement or potential worry slip through the cracks. He approached him and studied him for a moment. Silent as always. 

Klaus had just finished with a client and fresh red marks that would turn to bruises littered his neck and his exposed arms. He was thin and pale, but his eyes were surprisingly bright and clear.

Klaus didn’t give him the chance to comment on that or the thin, partially see through clothing he was wearing in the chilly fall night. He raised his arms out and grinned, “Diego! My brother! Long time no see!”

He grabbed Diego’s arm and squeezed it, looking him over “Wow – Your second puberty hit you like a truck. A sexy truck! T’s done wonders for your masked leather dom crimefighter aesthetic, good for you!”

A brief smirk came over Diego’s face, “Don’t make it weird.” He paused, “You look like hell.”

Klaus bowed, “Thank you.”

Diego remained tense and still, “I haven’t seen you around in a while.” He stated, factually.

“Aw, have you been taking time out of your busy vigilante schedule to look for me? I’m moist!”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to be blindsided when the morgue called me up to identify your body.” He retorted bitterly.

Klaus frowned, he had been envisioning this reunion for a while and had imagined it to be a lot sappier - maybe with a few hugs and declarations of love. He remembered when Diego’s heart hadn’t been so hardened and didn’t have the steel walls around it. In his head, he often imagined the heroic, nervous, kid who always protected and comforted him when things got too horrific. Because in his head, Diego would always be the one who caught Klaus putting on mom’s lipstick, told him that red was more his color then left and never told dad. 

Diego sighed and then said in a kinder tone, “Did they hurt you?”

Klaus giggled, pressing his hand over his neck and clavicle area “Certainly! But don’t worry they paid extra for that.” He winked, “All in a night’s work. Look at us – crawling around dark alleys in the dark looking for angry suppressed men with daddy issues.” He let his hands fall to his sides, “just for very different reasons.”

Diego didn’t look impressed, “This is low, even for you.”

“On the contrary, Diego! My reasons are more noble than ever!”

“Selling yourself out for drugs? So noble. I don’t know why I’m surprised...” Diego’s expression was cold and Klaus could feel his brother slipping away from him. 

“I’m sober, you dickhead.” Klaus waved a hand out in agitation, “You sound just like dad right now, a judge-y bastard.”

Diego stepped forward suddenly, his face livid and Klaus backed away, “Don’t you dare compare me to dad!

“Then stop acting like him – You wanted me to be sober- now I am – and you won’t even believe me. I can’t win. I thought you’d be happy!” Klaus watched him, a little confused - he seemed a lot angrier than he had anticipated and he didn’t know why. 

Diego’s fist was clenched at his side, “You dropped off the face of the planet, Klaus – I’ve been looking in drug dens for you. Do you know what that’s like? Looking through faces of people drugged into oblivion getting used for god knows what and hoping that one of them isn’t your brother? How the hell am I supposed to believe anything you say after the shit you’ve pulled?”

Klaus swallowed and took a step back, a deep pit of guilt and realization pooling in his stomach. “I’ve been trying.” He said with a defeated sigh.

Diego stepped back, “Whatever. Try not to get murdered.” He turned away, effectively ending their reunion and started to walk back out of Klaus’ life.

Klaus was taken aback by the abruptness and started forward after his brother, “Diego, wait!”

“What!?” Diego snapped, circling around to face his brother.

Klaus grabbed his brother’s arm and pushed up his sleeve to the elbow. Diego tried to pull away, “What the hell are you doing.”

Klaus grabbed a sharpie from his pocket and began to write on Diego’s forearm, he finished with a smiley face then popped the cap back on and spun around, walking away towards his original destination.

Diego read the words scribbled on his skin, “What the hell is this?”

Klaus never stopped walking “That’s my apartment address and the name underneath is your niece- she’s turning 2 at the end of the month! Happy birthday, by the way, mein bruder!”

*************************************************************

Diego sat for several minutes in his car outside the apartment building, looking up at the shabby complex he had already changed his mind 20 times. It had been a month since he ran into his addict brother. Afterwards, despite his initial distrust, when he got to his shitty boiler room apartment, he had quickly transferred the address and the name to a piece of paper and stuck it to his fridge.

It had been a long time since he had any contact with his family especially after Vanya published that treacherous book. But he had been worried about Klaus – the book had specifically called him out in ways that could have hurt him on the streets. In the past he had always been able to ‘accidentally’ run into Klaus and he used those moments to assess how bad the situation was, if he was sick, traumatized, if he needed to be dragged to another rehab center. Diego would never admit it out loud but in those moments he at least felt like he was able to do something. 

Diego was furious with his brother for the drug habit that had ripped their relationship apart and he was even angrier with himself for holding on to the guilt and worry. He didn’t want to have that fear in the back of his mind 24/7 and he was angry that Klaus would never have to experience that torture of watching someone you love throw everything away, give up, get used and abused while you can only watch them. 

Every day when he got home Diego would look at that piece of paper and feel a sense of opportunity and hope - then he got angry because he shouldn’t be stupid enough to fall for that sense of hope again. After 20 days he ripped the paper up and threw it in the trash, Eudora was the one who picked the pieces out and laid them out on the table telling him, ‘You’ll never forgive yourself for not knowing.”

Her voice rang in his head as he built himself up and glanced one more time at the building. He punched the steering wheel, angrier at himself more than anyone. 

Diego sighed and grabbed the stuffed gorilla toy he bought on a whim earlier that morning. It had thick brown soft fur and a leather jacket with a pink heart on the sleeve. He scowled as he trudged into the old apartment building. 

As he made his way down the hall of the third floor, he passed a man in the hallway. The man was clean shaven and didn’t really look like he belonged in this area, much less this building. As they passed he glared at Diego and shot a suspicious glance over his shoulder as Diego stopped in front of the door that Klaus had written on his arm. 

***************************************************************

There was a knock on the front door. Ben glanced at Klaus, everyone had left for the day and they weren’t expecting anyone else to show up. Klaus was barely paying attention, slumped lazily on the couch watching the tiny TV screen while Kenzie plodded around, babbling incoherently on the floor.

Ben stood up to check, it came in handy having a ghost who could always just pass through the door without being detected. 

“If it’s not Satan with a child support check I don’t want it.” Klaus said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

When Ben spoke again, he sounded urgent, “Klaus, make me corporeal. Now!” He demanded.

“Jesus – fine.”

Ben swung open the door.

Diego’s head tilted slightly and there were several moments where his face remained in a state of confusion. Then he stumbled backwards, and his hands flew to his mouth, he stared in shock at his dead brother who was now standing in front of him, blue and slightly see through but he was there, nonetheless.

Ben didn’t say anything and didn’t wait for his response - he flew forward and grabbed his brother, pulling him into a firm hug.

“B-Ben…?” Diego stuttered and for a moment his body was limp but then as the situation his him he hugged back, clinging desperately to his brother. “Holy shit…”

Ben tried to pull away after a minute, but Diego, suddenly acting like a child, clutched him and refused to let him go, he closed his eyes and buried his face In the blue shoulder. The ghost laughed and just held on tighter, “I’ve missed you so much, Diego.”

“Ben, this is fucking—” Diego backed up and stared at him, like it was all just an illusion that would fade away. He swallowed, obviously trying to hold back the sudden wave of emotions that had just hit him like a train.

“Come on in!” Ben gestured for him to come inside and he obeyed. He was stunned and dizzy and was easily guided into the apartment by Ben.

When he finally tore his eyes away from his deceased brother, Diego looked around at the small apartment. There was a small metal table with two chairs, an old metal bench next to a little window in the kitchen, there was a half-eaten birthday cake on the counter and some plates and cups strewn about.

The living room was more crowded, a twin sized mattress was against the west wall – it was unmade with a blanket and a single pillow. An old loveseat was facing the kitchen and there was a small TV set up on two milk crates in the corner, the floor was littered with children’s toys. The walls had cheap, psychedelic, melancholy art placed artfully along the ceiling.

Everything in the house seemed to be covered with thick blue blankets and metallic throws were placed around the floors. Diego also noticed that there were 3 fire extinguishers in this area alone.

Klaus stood up and greeted him a little apprehensively after the tearful reunion that just happened. “Well, color me surprised – I didn’t actually think you would show!”

“You’re sober.” Diego stated in disbelief, his eyes wondering over his brother in the light. 

Ben grabbed his wrist, “You want to see why?” He tugged him to the living area and gestured to the toddler on the floor. She was in a little witch’s dress, walking around with the matching hat and placing it on various things around the room.

“Holy shit…”

Klaus chuckled and put his hands on his hips, “Yeah- Didn’t need a paternity test for this one.”

He wasn’t kidding, she already looked remarkably like Klaus – with pale skin, big green eyes and wild dark hair that curled around her head.

“You wanna meet her?”

“Wha-“ Diego started dumbly.

Ben pulled him into the living room before he could respond through his haze and Klaus went back to the couch and plopped down, turning down the volume on the TV as he did. Diego was led down to the floor by Ben.

Kenzie watched them curiously, holding on to the edge of the wall with her fingers in her mouth. She smiled as Ben gestured for her to come closer and took a few clumsy steps toward them.

Klaus laughed “She’s a toddler not an alligator, Dee – breath.”

Ben reached forward and steadied her, “Kenzie, this is your uncle Diego. Can you say, ‘Uncle Diego’?”

“Unka Eego.” She repeated.

“Very good.” He nudged Diego in the side, “Diego, this is Kenzie – do you have something for her?”

Diego blinked, “Uh-“ He glanced at Klaus who was sitting with the palm of his hand over his mouth in utter amusement, “Hi, Kenzie? Um- Happy birthday.” He held out the gorilla and she grabbed it happily and shrieked. Turning it around in her little hands and tugging on its jacket.

“And what do you say, Kenz’?” Ben was grinning.

She was still inspecting her new toy as she spoke up, “Ank Ou!” She said joyfully and then tumbled away to show her father the stuffed gorilla. She held it up and his face lit up in mock surprise, “What is that!?” He cried, lifting her up and onto his lap. She shrieked unintelligibly in response.

Ben put an arm around his brother, who seemed to still be in too much shock to actually react to anything, “She loves it. Do you want to show Uncle Diego what you got today?”

Klaus helped the toddler down and she stumbled forward, looking around, she gnawed absently on her thumb.

“What did Aunt Vanny get you?” Ben prompted.

Diego’s face instantly darkened and he looked to his brother but the other ignored him, opting to watch Kenzie’s progress instead. 

She ran forward and grabbed a toddler version of a guitar with brightly colored buttons instead of strings, it had a plastic microphone attached to it - She yelled something into the fake microphone then came back to her uncles. She handed it to Diego proudly. He smiled and took it, “That’s cool…”

Klaus settled the little gorilla on his lap, “Yeah, Vanya’s cornered the ‘music aunt’ market.”

“What did I get you?” Ben asked. 

She ran into another room and came back dragging a book behind her, she shoved it towards Diego. He took it and flipped through the children’s animal encyclopedia, she watched him seriously. At some point she stopped him and pointed to a picture with a loud exclamation. He hesitantly stopped and held it up.

“The puppies are her favorite.”

“Ah.” He smiled at Kenzie, “Mine too.”

She giggled and then tried to move through the pages again, already bending several of them in her excitement.

“What did momma get you?”

Ben’s words focused her, and she pointed to a small dollhouse, except it was painted and decorated like a haunted house. There were already a few toys placed inside the rooms from where she had been playing with it earlier. She walked over to it and tugged it open, she got distracted and plopped down in front of it, reaching through the plastic rooms.

Diego nodded but glanced at his brother, “Who’s momma?”

“Kenzie, where’s momma?” Klaus asked. The toddler pointed to him.

“And where’s dada?” He tilted his head awaiting a response. She pointed to the ground. “That’s my girl!”

He grinned and jabbed a thumb at his own chest, “Me. I’m momma.”

“Okay?”

“Listen, I’ve got bad connotations with the name ‘dad’, specifically, the idea of my daughter calling me ‘dad’ makes me vomit so I improvised - so sue me.” 

A comfortable smile spread across Diego’s features and for the first time since they were children he was really speaking with his brother - not the addict. He nodded, “I like it. ‘Dad’ doesn’t suit you anyway.”

Then he added a little more cautiously, “And… Is the other parent..?” He gestured to the floor, insinuating death. 

Klaus took a moment to get what he was suggesting, then he laughed, slapping his knee, “Oh! No, no, she comes from Satan - he’s doing fine.”

Diego’s head snapped back, “I’m sorry, what?”

“You want some cake?” Klaus responded innocently.

Before Diego could press the subject Ben laughed and dragged his brother back to his feet, “Come on, get some cake-“

“Oh, well—”

“Get some cake, Diego!” Klaus chided, “We’re watching Allison’s new movie. Join us!” He threw up his hands, “A little pastry won’t pop an ab, I promise!”

Diego glanced uncertainly at Ben who smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, “I don’t want you to go yet” He said softly. 

A few minutes later Diego was sitting on the couch next to Klaus with a piece of Halloween themed cake in his lap. Kenzie was on her father’s lap staring intently at her newly introduced uncle. Occasionally he would snap his head towards her and she would grin and fall backwards against Klaus. It became somewhat of a game. Klaus pretended not to notice but everytime Diego would surprise Kenzie a small smile would ghost his lips. 

Halfway through the movie she ended up in Diego’s lap, holding her new gorilla close to her chest and making self appointed comments throughout. She was a talkative toddler and when she couldn’t find the word that she wanted she would just start spouting sounds. Diego was entranced with how Klaus interacted with her, how he would roll with whatever childlike thing she was saying, how he would pause the movie to take care of her, and just how natural he was at being paternal. 

Ben was laying on the twin mattress watching the movie intently, however, every so often Diego would catch him looking around fondly at them. They spoke throughout the movie; making comments and retelling old stories. Diego found his mind drifting and only caught parts of the plot but from what he could focus on it was pretty good and Allison killed it.

Never in a million years would Diego ever assume that his brother, Klaus Hargreeves, would be a good parent. But the more he thought about it and pushed past the years of drug abuse and alcoholism, he realized that - of course Klaus would be an excellent father - of course he would be attentive and involved and empathic towards his child. Before their father had warped him into the attention starved man with the smoke and mirrors smile, he was sensitive and empathic. Diego missed seeing that side of his brother, had almost forgotten that it ever existed. 

By the end of the film Klaus was dozing against his shoulder and Ben had phased back into invisibility but Diego found comfort in knowing that he was still there. The credits rolled and Kenzie clapped, she glanced up at her uncle for approval and Diego winked at her. He didn’t move even as the tiny screen went black, he just let his brother sleep against him and soaked up the peacefulness of the moment. 

Despite his adamant protests at even coming here, Deigo no longer wanted to even leave. 

Kenzie looked towards the seemingly empty mattress on the floor as if she could hear something that Diego couldn’t. She blew a kiss, “I love you, uncle Ben.” (It sounded more like ‘I lahve ‘uo Unka Ben’’ but he understood well enough.”

She tilted her head slightly as Ben, no doubt, said something to her and she glanced up, doing the same to Diego. “‘I lahve ‘uo Unka Eego!”

Diego ruffled her unruly black hair and said softly, “You too, kiddo”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even now, Klaus still has to fight against the ghosts that always seem to find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! 
> 
> Brief interlude prompted by Sosaith who asked: _"Can Kenzie see all ghosts or just Ben? Can we have an interlude about how Klaus is dealing with the other ghosts these days?"_
> 
> I hope this answers some of your questions! His powers will evolve in the future but this story takes place just a day or so after the last chapter. Thank you so much for the prompt! I hope that you enjoy!

“Oh my god - could you shut the hell up!” Klaus twisted his head around and hissed at the 3 ghosts that had begun to trail him on his way back home. They were the pretty usual lot - A woman with her jaw hanging off, he assumed she was shot. He couldn’t understand what she was saying but she was screaming garbled, bloody nonsense and he could see what was left of her tongue wagging around in the maw and it made him nauseous. 

There was an old man who looked perfectly intact, he was yelling, confused and angry about the fact that he had died in his sleep. When he first started following Klaus he had been generally docile but the longer he was ignored the louder and more spiteful his words became. 

Another man with a gaping stab wound in his stomach trailed the other two - nothing he said was understandable, just long screams that pierced through Klaus’ head. 

As always, the fact that he acknowledged them just made them more insistent and they began to walk faster, closing in on him. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and focused all of his energy, letting his fists glow blue and a faint aura of protection bubbled around his body. He made a shoving motion with his hands and the blue light rushed forward, however, as was usually the case- it hit them like a gust of wind - jolting them backwards then simply moving past them and dissipating into the air. 

Klaus groaned and hugged his shopping back closer to his chest, turning on his heels and walking faster towards the apartment. Once inside he slammed the door shut like that would actually stop the stragglers that he had picked up. 

Ben looked up from a book, glancing first at his brother then the three spirits that meandered through the door continuing to throw profanities, garble through loose teeth, and scream. He cringed, “Brutal.”

Klaus put the bag of groceries on the counter and started taking the contents out, the old man attempted to press into his space, now spitting homophobic slurs. Klaus stomped his foot and the blue light shoved the old man away about 4 feet. He slumped against the counter, rolling his head back, “Why isn’t this working!?” He complained through clenched teeth. 

Once again he attempted to banish the ghosts but he only managed to send them a few feet backwards. 

“Stop, breath, focus. Remember?”

“Oh, why didn’t I think of that!?” Klaus rolled his eyes. These little attempts were only succeeding in making him more tired, more vulnerable and the last thing he wanted was for them to start draining his energy - much in the same way he could make Ben corporeal, they could get the same effect only by forcefully taking it from him. 

“I’ll - I’ll banish them with the rest tonight - I just need- “ He rubbed his temples, “For them to be quiet for two seconds!” He snapped at the spirits. 

“Kenzie!” He called for her in a forcefully casual tone then immediately met the toddler in the hallway as she prodded out of her room. 

“Hello!” She said looking first up at him then she attempted to look past him at all the ruckus in the kitchen. He quickly bent down and picked her up, moving her face away with his hand. 

“Hi, pumpkin! Look at me - Look at momma.” He walked back towards the kitchen, her back was facing the ghosts and he was gently holding her face so that she wouldn’t try to glance behind her. 

“Spook?” She asked. 

“Yup, we’re spooking some spooks so that momma can make some dinner in peace. Look at me, sweetie..”

As he moved towards the phantoms with the two year old they immediately went silent and began to cower away, averting their eyes and stumbling backwards. Klaus continued to walk her through the kitchen and the three phased through the wall and into the hallway. Their voices were still audible through the door but softer and farther away. The moment that Klaus wasn’t holding the toddler they would probably try to swarm him again but at least for now they were quiet. 

“Yeah, you better run - “ Klaus said triumphantly. 

In contrast to Klaus, who’s powers seemed to attract the spirits like moths to a flame; Weak ghosts cowered and hid from the baby, as if they were sensing a stronger entity. That didn’t mean Klaus didn’t try to keep the ghosts away, he didn’t want her to have to see the gore and horror and death that he did so very young but it was always good to have a backup plan.

He kissed her cheek, “Thank you, baby spook..” He put her back on the floor and she turned around trying to find out what she was missing.When she didn’t find anything she ran back to the living room. 

Ben watched his brother as he laid his head against the counter with a tired sigh, “You’ve got to stop stretching yourself so thin…”

“Great idea, Ben--” Klaus began with his face pressed against the counter, “I can’t believe I haven’t tried that yet...”

After a relatively un-explosive dinner Klaus settled himself in the corner of the kitchen, smoking what would be his last cigarette for the day. He sighed and pressed his forehead against the window frame, he closed his eyes and tried to focus. Alternating slow, in and out breathing between puffs of the cigarette and attempting to bring all of his energy back to his core. 

Around him, he could hear and sense the spirits in the hallway, all itching to come inside - some of them had forgotten about him but living where they did, more were sure to wonder inside. He could also hear Kenzie in the bathroom, Ben was with her brushing her teeth and she was mumbling through the toothbrush - unable to wait to get her next sentence in. 

“I can’t understand what you’re saying!” Ben said in a light tone. 

She repeated her sentence louder through the toothpaste and Ben laughed. He could hear her spit out the toothpaste and practically yell, “You’re not listening to me!” She said in a mumbled toddler voice. 

“I am listening to you - I just can’t understand through the brushing.” Ben argued. 

She mumbled something instantly and Klaus could tell that she had the toothbrush in her mouth again. 

“Now you’re just doing in on purpose.” His brother said and he could hear the grin on his face as he spoke. 

Klaus smiled and kept that moment in the forefront of his mind as he inhaled and exhaled mindfully. Contrary to how his father had insisted his power worked, he found that focusing on something else, a moment, a song, or just a happy memory caused his abilities to expand much farther. He remained like this for 20 minutes, listening to Kenzie and Ben go through the night time routine and ignoring the stray ghosts that had started poking back in now that the toddler was in her own bedroom. 

He shuddered as he felt one of the spirits brush through his arm but he kept his eyes closed. He made the mistake of wincing at a particularly sharp yell somewhere around him and they all began to close in - mostly spirits that had latched onto him during the day. He raised his hands and inhaled deeply holding a memory, Kenzie’s first steps, at the forefront of his mind and as if projecting the moment back into the present he clapped his palms together as hard as he could. 

When he opened his eyes, the ghosts were gone and there was a bluish haze hanging around the corners of the house. His shoulders fell and he rolled his head back against the wall with a thud. He felt a little embarrassed that it still took him this long to banish the spirits away but luckily Ben never seemed to mention it. 

After a while, Kenzie ran into the kitchen towards him, she was in her pajamas, dragging a stuffed toy made of fire resistant material (Thank you Alvarez) on the floor behind her. She tugged at his hand and he looked down.He picked her up and now that the apartment had been cleared of all the corpses, it was officially bedtime. 

Klaus didn’t have a demon qualified babysitter for the night so he was sleeping on his own mattress. He needed it, without drugs it was getting hard to do the all nighters then rolling into the shop the next day with 3 hours of sleep and then repeating the process but at least when he was working he wasn’t left with the quiet. Wasn’t left with the memories that would shoved themselves into his head just as he was about to doze off causing him to jolt awake then start the agonizing process over again. 

When he was finally asleep it seemed only seconds before he looked around he was surrounded by stone walls. He could feel the cold seeping through his shoes and suddenly there were angry, dead faces screaming obscenities and curses at him. He felt so small and like no matter how much he begged and pleaded his voice could never overpower their angry cries. Familiar guilt and panic welled up in his chest, this was his fault - he was stuck here because he was a bad child who couldn’t behave so rather than face the ghosts he clawed at the door to the mausoleum and wailed apologies, clinging to even the littlest hope that his father would hear him and take pity on him. 

He bolted upright, sweating with his heart pounding painfully in his chest. 

“Hey, Klaus - You’re at home - stay with me, okay?” Ben’s voice was as calm as ever. He was sitting on the couch, not getting into his brother’s space but he was leaned forward, inspecting him closely.

A rogue spirit crawled towards Klaus and he flinched away, throwing his arms over his face, “Shit!” He snapped. 

“You started screaming - I guess it attracted a few ghosts. Not that many though.”

Klaus opened his eyes, gasping for breath and looked around, there were a couple spirits, including the one that was a few inches away from him. He whined and slapped the mattress with his palm, “Fuck off!” He said through a clenched jaw. Blue energy pushed the ghosts backwards into the kitchen, they seemed to take the hint and meandered away bitterly. 

He fell backwards against the pillow with a whine, burning his face in his elbow and attempting to even his breaths out again. 

“Klaus, are you with me?”

He glanced over, “Is Kenzie awake?” He choked out. 

Ben shook his head, “No, she’s still asleep.”

Klaus rolled out of bed and untangled himself from his blanket, he stumbled into the baby’s room and looked inside, sure enough she was still sleeping soundly and there were no ghosts creeping in the corners of her room. He believed his brother but still needed to see for himself that she was safe so when he came back into the living room and collapsed back onto his mattress, Ben didn’t mention anything. 

Klaus hugged his pillow to his chest and clicked the TV on, lowering the volume until he was sure that it wouldn’t startle the sleeping toddler. 

After a few moments Ben spoke up, “You are getting better at it.” He observed. 

Klaus knew that he was technically right but that didn’t make it any easier. He didn’t go back to sleep that night, still trapped by his fears and the nightmares that plagued him. It wasn’t as bad as it was but he still had a long way to go.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenzie sets a clear precedent for abuse that we all should strive for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl this one's a little rough, but it is sort of the half way mark where things change a little, but I do think this is the chapter that a lot of you have been waiting for!
> 
> Unless there are any prompts beforehand, the next chapter will skip some time and Dave will show up! (also, I'm sick lol so for all I know this could be complete gibberish!) Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoy! Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> Ps. There is a trigger warning for this chapter in the end notes.

Klaus sat near the open window of their little kitchen and stared outside with one leg brought up to his chest while the other swung loosely off the side of the seat. He had one hand hanging out the partially opened screen with a cigarette between his fingers. He would inhale deeply from it then blow the smoke out the window.

The house was surprisingly quiet today, even Kenzie was wrapped up in her playhouse rather than running around, talking and yelling whenever she felt like it. He didn’t know where Ben was, maybe with Liev? Ben enjoyed poking around in their life and would often bounce around between their house and the apartment. The ghosts were manageable now, and he found that he was able to push them away if they started getting inside. Sometimes he would still wake up to find them screaming at him but other than that, he could handle them.

Klaus struggled with the silence more than anything else, he was able to handle the hectic mornings bouncing work, play, and spending time with the toddler. The only time he slept well was when he was exhausted or in pain, or both so his current lifestyle was something he could adapt to. But as he stared out the window, his mind would wonder and then he would be someplace else – he could feel his heart begin to pound and he shook himself.

He flicked away the last of the cigarette, attempting to come back to the moment – thinking that he should put on a movie, add some noise to the house. He had just shut the window when there was a knock at the front door. He sighed and looked through the peephole – it was Leon.

He opened it with a smile and waved a palm out, “Bonjour!” Then he added a mumbled string of French sounding words that sounded a lot better in his head.

Leon gave him a weak smile, he was leaning against the door frame “Hey, Klaus, mind if come in?”

“Not at all! Ben’s fff-“ He waved away the word and continued, “Off somewhere – probably creeping on a firefighter or whatever he does and Kenz’ is so tied up in her dollhouse drama that she’s definitely not going to talk to her old man until her tummy starts rumbling –“ He backed into the kitchen to let his boyfriend in, Leon moved slowly inside and shut the door.

Klaus tilted his head, inspecting him then walked up and kissed him, Leon reciprocated. When Klaus pulled away, he chuckled, “Hitting that Irish coffee early this morning, are we?” He said waving away the imaginary fumes coming off the other man.

Leon shrugged, “Sorry about that, I didn’t have to go into work today so I figured – why not, you know.”

“Why not!” He agreed. He felt a tension in the air that he couldn’t quite place.

“Listen, Klaus, I need to talk to you.”

There it is.

“Ooh, sounds serious – Coffee?” He asked, holding up a pot.

Leon shook his head, he had one hand on the back of the chair and seemed to be keeping his eyes away from Klaus. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Suit yourself!” Klaus poured himself a cup of warm coffee and took a sip, grimacing at the stale taste, “So, grown up talk? I’m assuming.”

He sighed, “Look, I just need to know – Who was that guy coming to your apartment the other night? On Halloween.”

Klaus thought about it for a moment, then his face lit up and he laughed, “Oh my god! That must have looked so bad! No, no, no, that was just my brother, Diego – He was meeting Kenzie! Oh, it was lovely – I wish you could have seen it!”

Leon raised an eyebrow, “Your brother. _Diego?_ ” He stated his voice dripping in skepticism.

Klaus took another comfort sip of the old beverage and winced, “Yeah – I haven’t seen him in years!”

“You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you?”

Klaus made a face, “We’re adopted – don’t get weird about it.”

It didn’t take him very long to realize that Leon had come over looking for a fight. And maybe he should have been more concerned about the slight drunkenness but even with Leon’s jealous nature and delicate ego he had always been particularly docile, at least compared to Klaus’ exes. Sometimes he wondered if Leon even actually liked him – or If he was so consumed by the idea of taking someone broken and fixing them that all he could see what the image he had created in his own mind.

Klaus’ mind wondered as they fought, his sister’s words repeating in his head _“Maybe you’re attracted to people who are cruel to you because you unconsciously recognize the patterns that dad instilled in us and it’s familiar and comfortable to you?”_

Was that what was happening? How would he know? Leon wasn’t cruel – he was an asshole sometimes but so was Klaus. And maybe Klaus was using him too, wanting to have another parent, someone who was stable and good with practical things. Maybe someone who would let them move into a home one day before Kenzie got old enough to realize what a shitshow her father’s lifestyle was. He was lost in his thoughts when Leon snapped his fingers in front of his face.

“Klaus!”

He jumped, “Sorry, I wasn’t listening – what were you saying?”

And maybe Klaus truly should have been paying more attention to the conversation because when Leon’s fist impacted his face he stumbled backwards, legitimately shocked.

“Shit…” He muttered, more surprised than angry.

He brought his hand up to his face and wiped away at the blood now trickling out of his no doubt broken nose, he inspected it and looked back towards his boyfriend, “Oh my god – you hit like an accountant.” He said through a fit of giggles.

_“Incurably Insolent”_ He heard his father’s voice through the ringing in his ears.

Klaus didn’t know why he laughed but as Leon grabbed the front of his shirt and pressed his back against the counter he continued to grin, zoning out while the other man was yelling at him an inch from his face. It wasn’t until he heard a little voice through his heart pounding in his ears that terror began to well up in his chest.

“Hey, hey, stop it!” He snapped, coming back to earth and immediately trying to pry the other man’s fingers off of his shirt. 

Leon didn’t let go, shaking him in response. Klaus turned his face away and tried to wriggle out of his grip. He saw Kenzie out of the corner of his eye, and everything started to crumble away as she toddled closer to the dangerous scene, curiously. His mind flashed with the most horrible images and he whimpered, attempting to kick the other man away.

“Kenzie. Kenzie, no!” He begged.

But it was too late, she reached out and a moment later Leon’s entire body erupted in flames. Simultaneously, there was a blue flash of light that erupted from Klaus’ palms and Leon was thrown backwards through the wall and into the hallway with a scream. Klaus collapsed against the counter then twisted around and grabbed the toddler, pulling her to his chest and rushing into the living room. She was still on fire and Klaus could feel his skin blister and pop throughout his torso but he didn’t let go.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” He repeated over and over again, wiping her face and rocking her gently as they listened to the other tenants putting Leon out and calling the cops and the fire department. Klaus didn’t let go even when people started to arrive at their apartment.

*****************************************************************

“Hey, you still with me?” Ben whispered softly. He stared attentively at his brother.  
They were sitting with their shoulders pressed together in the very back corner of Kenzie’s room. The lights were out and the toddler had just fallen asleep across their laps, laying on a big fire resistant blanket and cuddling her teddy bear. Lullaby music played gently in the background while they huddled together in the corner on the floor.

Klaus’ face was blank, eyes stuck in an unfocused gaze at the open air. He had a small strip across his broken nose, bits of blood and bruising still spread out from the center of his face. He was shirtless, bandages wrapped around his midsection and his forearms where the worst of the burns occurred.

The only indicator of what was happening in his mind was the trembling of his hands every time he moved. Ben had dealt with Klaus after many less than healthy relationships but never sober and he was on edge, worried that at any moment his brother might snap and run.

The shitshow outside was enough to crack anybody, let alone a recovered addict. A mixture of cops, the landlord, EMTs and firefighters milling around in their space asking questions and taking statements. Ben had never been more grateful for the Chief than today, things had been spiraling out of control as the cops started asking questions and poking holes in the statement when she showed up. In typical Alvarez fashion, she regained control of the situation, backed up claims, kept Klaus quiet and within thirty minutes had resolved any remaining questions or accusations.

In the end, no one blamed Klaus for the incident (Except the landlord) and no one suspected that Kenzie could spontaneously combust. It could have gone a lot worse.

“Klaus?” Ben repeated, speaking in a hushed tone.

Klaus blinked and looked over at his brother, eyes still far away, “Hm?”

“Don’t spiral on me, okay? Everything’s going to be fine – she’s going to be fine. She won’t even remember this.”

Klaus huffed, a humorless smile on his face, “No, it’ll tuck away in the corner of her subconscious and then rear its ugly head when she’s 17.”

Klaus rolled his head back against the wall and stared at the ceiling then his eyes squeezed shut and he bit his lip. Ben looked away as tears started to fall down his brother’s face and he whimpered, trying to hold back a sob. Despite everything, Ben could count on one hand the amount of times he had seen his brother cry after the age of 13, like really cry, not the crocodile tears or the tears for effect or the misty eyes that came through every time he watched Big Hero   
Six.

Unsure of how to handle this, Ben simply laid his head against his brother’s shoulder and let him cry. He didn’t look up, even when Klaus finally spoke in a broken voice.

“I thought he was going to—” Klaus face screwed up again and he couldn’t finish the statement.

Ben didn’t want him to.

“Well, he didn’t. And like any good toxic love letter he was set on fire.” He paused, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there and I’m sorry—” Ben was going to say that he was sorry he didn’t see the signs but honestly, when Klaus wasn’t home Ben was with the baby – he wasn’t involved with his brother’s dating life and had just trusted him when he came home and told him about all the nice things about Leon. Ben had believed him.

“But, hey – listen to me, we don’t need him, we never did. At the end of the day, it’s always going to be you, me and Kenzie and we’ve been through a lot worse than this, okay?”

Klaus shook his head, “We don’t need him…”

“Yeah, fuck that guy –“ Ben meant it too - If he could have let the horror go wild on Leon for just five seconds it would have been all over with. 

His brother inhaled deeply, “Just you and me against the world. Four and Six.” He closed his eyes, “And the chief. And the fire department. And Vanya. And Diego… And that doctor we paid off to put on welding gear and give Kenzie her shots.”

Ben laughed, “Well, when you put it like that…”

Klaus smiled “That doctor was a trooper…” Then he lolled his head against Ben’s shoulder, “I want a drink so badly I feel like my head is going to explode.” He admitted under his breath.

“Maybe you should stay in tonight.”

Klaus looked down at his daughter and hummed, “Don’t think we’re going anywhere any time soon.”

Ben watched his brother for several moments while they fell into a comfortable silence. “Are you okay?” He asked simply.

Klaus looked away from him, “I mean, I almost let some random asshole hurt the only person who I’ve ever truly loved more than myself so…” He shook his head. 

“Look, in your defense- which you know I never say - it wasn’t your fault he did that. I know sometimes you make excuses for people but there’s no excuse for what he did - You didn’t deserve that. Don’t get me wrong - you’re a dumbass of epic proportions sometimes -” Ben smiled, “But that doesn't mean you deserved to be treated like that.”

Klaus chuckled, bumping up against his brother gently as not to jostle the toddler between them. “I’m not doing that again - Like you said, Casper, it’s our family against the world - everybody else?” He flipped off the door, “Can shove it.”

It was a few minutes later when Vanya, Sophie, and Diego cautiously entered the room. Ben was glad to see them although Klaus’ eyes seemed to wander to the floor when they came inside. 

Vanya was on her knees next to them a moment after, looking over her niece worriedly then moving to her bandaged brother. “Soph told me what happened, Klaus are you okay?”

He nodded, and smiled tiredly. 

The chief was standing over them, her arms crossed, others may have assumed that she was angry but Ben could recognize that she was just concerned, her mind already looking for solutions. 

Diego was tensely standing in the doorway, he had the 30 day eviction notice in his hand, surveying the scene.

“Rough day, huh? Look, I can’t do anything about what already happened but I can tell you that we’ll help you find another place and furnish it. Do you think you’ll need a restraining order against him? How much did he see?”

Klaus shrugged, “I don’t know.” He sighed.

Vanya looked up at the firefighter, “Maybe we can take it easy tonight?” She turned to her brother, “Maybe pizza?” She nodded encouragingly and Sophie took the hint. 

“Yeah, we’ll call some pizza - I got the stuff in my truck to patch up that hole. At least well enough that you won’t have to worry. Vanya’s right, we can work on the rest of it tomorrow.” She turned slightly to Diego, “You sticking around to help, mask boy?” She said with a smirk. 

“I’ve got someplace to be.” He paused, “Unrelated, do you know what hospital they took the guy to?”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. 

“What? I’m just curious.”

“I’m going to call for delivery then I’ll start on that wall.” She ignored him. 

Vanya watched her leave with a soft smile, then she pulled a piece of what looked like old mail from her pocket. She scribbled something on it quickly and handed it up to her brother. He hesitantly took it and read it, he nodded sharply. “Thanks.” He murmured. 

His eyes moved over Klaus, Ben and Kenzie in the corner, hovering over his brother’s bruised face. “Call if you need anything.” he said then promptly turned on his heel and left the apartment. 

Vanya turned back to her brothers, “I’d like to stay over for a while, if that’s okay?” She glanced back towards the door, “Sophie probably would too.”

Klaus hummed, “Why, yes, I would like some lesbian guards for the night, thanks for asking.” he grinned and nudged his brother, “We’re going to be fine, Benny boy.”

Vanya very carefully pulled Kenzie off of their laps and they tucked her back into to bed. Klaus whispered one last apology to the sleeping child then went back to the main area with the rest of his family. 

He had no idea what was coming in the future and the thought made him want to curl up and hide but he let his brother’s words repeat over and over though his head

_At the end of the day, it’s always going to be you, me and Kenzie_

***************************************************************************************

Diego waited patiently for Leon to leave the hospital, he was walking stiffly, no doubt due to the burns that littered the right side of his body but other than that he seemed fine. Diego walked casually up to him and pulled a firm arm around him, leading him towards the back of the building. 

“What the -” 

Diego stuck a knife to his back as a warning to shut up, “We’re just going for a little walk, pal.” He twisted it and the accountant whined. 

As soon as he was out of sight of the parking lot he twisted the other man around and slammed him into the concrete wall. He had a knife pressing down on his throat a second afterwards. “Listen up, you little shit - If you get near my niece or my brother again I will flay the skin off of your body and feed it to you. You understand?”

“Help!” He screamed but it was cut off by a knee to his groin. 

“I said, do you understand me?!” Diego snapped. 

Leon nodded, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I understand--” He stuttered out, shuddering as the edge of the knife seared into the top layer of his skin. 

“That's good!” He took the knife away and Leon slumped forward as the pressure was taken away from his throat. 

Diego pulled back then landed a brutal, striking punch to the middle of the man’s face. Leon’s head snapped back as his nose was broken and he slid down, holding his bleeding face. 

Diego sighed and wiped off his knife, he pointed it at Leon, “And if you ever tell anybody about this?” He made a slicing motion in the air, “I’ll kill you, capiche?”

Leon nodded desperately. 

Diego turned away and slipped away into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning!  
> Domestic abuse (But I _do_ set him on fire afterwards)   
> Love you guys!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An important morning (For a couple of different reasons)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks so much for all your lovely comments! This chapter is after a bit of a time jump and was actually supposed to just be the beginning but it got away from me. I am going to try to get the second half done by tomorrow but no guarantees because I'm still sick and I keep coming home and crashing after work lol! I hope that you guys enjoy!

Dave stared vacantly out the window of his 4th floor apartment; he held a cup of coffee in one hand but hadn’t taken a sip of it yet. It was 4 in the morning and the city below starting move faster, he couldn’t hear the cars or the people outside. He couldn’t hear anything, as always it was so stoically quiet in his home that he could hear his own heartbeat.

His apartment wasn’t really like a home though, it was a nice place to live and he was thankful for his circumstances, but he often felt like he was living on a blank set. He kept it very clean and orderly, a habit he picked up from his time in the army, but nearly all the beige furniture had been there when he started renting the place. His sister had said jokingly that it looked like a serial killer’s apartment and he couldn’t argue with that.

He kept making plans to decorate or make the space cozier, but he never seemed to find the energy to go outside. He wasn’t scared, per se, but he struggled with these feelings of emptiness, of coldness that left him cooped up inside most days. The counselors at the VA said that this was normal and that it would eventually pass – that he needed to get back into the workforce and get some hobbies. He had been searching for jobs and had even taken up playing video games but he would always find himself back here – staring at the window, his mind being pulled down to the past until he felt like he had fallen in ice.

He had come to the city searching for a better life, a way to escape from where he came from and the old-fashioned views that had always kept him in line. He had envisioned parties and beautiful men, music and lasting memories, new experiences to overshadow the ones that held him down, however, nothing had turned out that way – It was his own fault, he knew that but he didn’t know how to fix it. He didn’t know how to start feeling like a person again.

Someone lightly touched his shoulder and he jumped spilling some coffee, which he realized had gone cold, on his shirt.

“Hey, you with me?” His sister, Nora, pulled her hand back, watching him with a friendly concern.

He cleared his throat and glanced at the simple black and white clock on the wall, it was now 6 A.M. He looked around in confusion trying to remember what he had been doing for the past two hours.

“See anything interesting?” Nora continued conversationally and then curled up on the loveseat next to him, her eyes scanning the city below.

“Not really, just the same old traffic.” He trailed off, not sure what to say next. He wasn’t trying to be difficult but sometimes it took him a moment to come back down to earth. Luckily Nora had always been patient (Also extremely stubborn).

“Any news on that interview?” She tried. She had gone to bed before he was able to tell her anything.

Dave’s eyes lit up, “Yeah! I think I got it. Yeah, I thought she hated me, but she called me yesterday and apparently one of the guys just retired. She said she thought I would be good for a ‘special’ team that he was on? I don’t know what that means but… I go in to get started next week.”

Nora shoved him, “Why wasn’t the first thing you said!?”

He laughed and shrugged her off, “Honestly, I forgot about it.”

“Well, I’m glad because you need a damn job – somthin’ that’ll get you out of the house.” She poked him in the temple “And outta your damn head.” Then she added in a softer tone, “ _And_ you’ll be a good firefighter. With your hero complex and all.” Nora’s Texas accent came out thicker the more worked up she got. 

Dave chuckled, “Yeah, it’ll be nice to get back out there.” He said with very little enthusiasm.

“Hhmm. So, what are we doing tonight?”

He thought about it for a moment, “What do you mean?”

She pulled a stiff white pillow from behind her back and cuddled it to her chest, “I’m leaving tomorrow – I’m not spending my last night in the city holed up listening to meditation tracks or whatever the hell you listen to.”

He laughed, “I’m sorry I’m not exciting enough for you. But if you want to head out, I’ll probably just stay in tonight.”

She immediately shook her head and kicked him lightly with her foot, “Not a chance – You are going out there and you’re going to have fun whether you want to or not! End of discussion.”

She bounced off the couch leaving him with a lingering smile. He sighed and took a sip of the icy cold coffee with a grimace.

A brief smile came over his features; maybe a night out wouldn’t be so bad.

**************************************************************

~On the other side of the city ~ 

“I don’t understand how we have a child who literally combusts and yet you’re the one causing all the fires!” Ben yelled over the sound of the TV playing Saturday morning programs.

“Would. You. Get. Off my dick!?” Klaus was beating at the small grease fire that he started on the stove. The towel he was using also caught on fire and he dropped it and proceeded to stomp on it.

They had been in this particular apartment for a little over a year now and it was certainly more suited to their particular needs. No carpet, higher ceilings, and two whole bedrooms which meant that Klaus was able to have his own space.

They liked to call it their ‘haunted house’ and as opposed to their first place, this apartment was homier and more decorated. Klaus had been able to piece together the furniture and decorations (Lots of old metal stuff and high ceiling décor) and it reminded Ben of Klaus’ room at the academy. Lots of art, lots of hanging lights and lamps for a calming vibe and a lot of cozy messy areas.

All cloth and wood items in their home was covered by fire proof or fire resistant blankets and they had 6 fire extinguishers permanently hanging in every room. Kids toys were always strewn about every room no matter how much Ben tried to keep them up – Klaus rarely picked things up unless he had stubbed a toe on it and Kenzie was already just as messy as he was.

Their apartment looked like “The Haunted Mansion” meets a spiritual hippie shop meets an extremely pyro phobic mom and they were quite fond of the area even if it was more expensive than the last apartment.

Klaus grimaced as he looked over the remains of the bacon in the blackened pan, he tossed it loudly in the sink and started running the water. “Eggs and toast, it is!”

“Kenzie, could you turn that down a little, please?” Ben called over his shoulder.

Something with songs was playing and she was jumping up and down, dancing to the characters in the TV. She was yelling and clapping, completely enthralled with the show she had probably seen 300 times.

The 3 ½ year old was grinning, never taking her eyes off the screen as she picked up the remote and hit the volume button a few times. Both men cringed a little.

“The other way, Kenz’!” Ben called out a little louder.

“Sorry!” She finally adjusted the volume the right way and continued to dance.

Klaus opened the window and using an unburnt dish towel to start wafting the smoke out of the area, thankfully all of the fire alarms were muted during the day so they were saved by the added obnoxious beeping. He coughed and waved it around, “Jesus – that’s it, we’re going vegetarian.”

“You always say that until literally anybody else cooks meat.”

Kenzie bolted into the kitchen, immediately clinging onto Klaus’ leg, “Mommy! I’m hungry, when can we eat? Also, there’s a fire!”

He looked around in alarm, “Where?!”

“She’s talking about the one you started.”

“Oh- good – “He picked her up and set her on a chair, “Good news, foods ready now.”

“Yeah, go ahead, get started, I’m working on the toast now.” Ben glanced inside the toaster.

Klaus was scraping a pile of scrambled eggs onto the toddler’s plate then some onto his – with the empty pan he pretended to put some eggs onto Ben’s plate. He did the same with orange juice then plopped down at the table with a tired huff. Ben came over with the buttered toast and passed it out – pretending to put some on his plate – They couldn’t afford to waste the food, but Kenzie would get upset if they didn’t have a place made for Ben.

“Thank you!” She said, then added, “Can I have some Ultra Death?”

Klaus slid backwards, “That’s what I forgot – “He went to the fridge and pulled out the 1,200,000 Scoville unit hot sauce. It had been a glorious day when Julio who worked at their favorite food truck discovered the key to Kenzie not having meltdowns every single time she ate. It made sense in hindsight since she seemed to hate most foods that weren’t sweet with a passion.   
Everything must have tasted like cardboard.

He opened it very carefully and started to sprinkle the hot sauce on her eggs, “Tell me when, Pumpkin Pie—”

She watched him intently, “Hmmm…. When!”

“Use your fork, Kenz’” Ben reminded her, picking up his own and taking a bite of invisible eggs.

Kenzie continued chatting throughout breakfast, talking about her Tv shows, about what she was thinking about, about what she saw out the window and what she dreamed about. With the child there was rarely a moment that wasn’t filled with some noise – between her and Klaus, there was no such things as awkward silences in their household.

As they were finishing Ben noticed that Kenzie kept reaching up and scratching at her head, pulling at her hair. “Is your head itching, Kenz’?”

“It’s been itchy all morning!” She complained, taking both hands and rubbing at her scalp.

The men looked at each other in alarm and Klaus stood up, “If it’s lice- that’s it – everybody’s going Vin Diesel. Including you, ghost boy.” He pointed at his brother and started moving his hands through Kenzie’s wildly curly black locks.

“Maybe it’s just dry scalp?” Ben offered.

“What – is that the one thing she got from “Luci”? She’s got oily hair like I do.” He started separating her curls away and his head tilted as he reached her scalp and then began to dig through with more concern. “What the fuck is that…” He mumbled.

“Why can you say fuck, but I can’t say fuck?” She chided.

He moved some hair on the other side, “Sorry, pumpkin… Ben?”

Ben came over and inspected where he had pulled the hair away, his eyes went wide and he pushed his brother’s hands away to get a better angle. Klaus’ hands flew to his mouth and he stumbled away. “Oh my god…”

“What is it!?” Kenzie asked as everyone got quiet around her.

Ben’s jaw dropped as he saw the two small horns that were just starting to poke through her scalp. He pressed on them lightly and they didn’t seem to hurt her, although she did reach up and scratch at the skin around them.

Klaus was having an angry, silent meltdown behind them, “HORNS!? HORNS! WHAT THE FUCK!?” He mouthed, gesticulating wildly In the air.

Ben turned around and mouthed, “Calm the fuck down! It’s okay!”

“Oh really!? You’re telling me to calm down!? My daughter has HORNS!” He mimed angrily.

Ben moved closer to his brother to silently yell at him, “Well, at least it’s not lice!”

“Oh fuck you!”

“Fuck you!”

Kenzie twisted around in her chair and immediately the silent film fight stopped abruptly. Klaus pulled his arms in and bit down on his knuckle inconspicuously.

“What’s the matter?” She asked innocently.

Klaus put his hands on his hips, “Nothing, love –“ His voice cracked.

Klaus shot one last glance at his brother then he moved to kneel beside her at the table. He took one of her hands and put it between his palms, “So- Guess what! It’s a very big day!”

“It is?”

He nodded, “Yes. Your horns have started to come in! You’re getting so big!”

She looked over at her uncle who flashed her an encouraging smile, “I have horns?”

“Uh huh! You’re growing up so fast!”

Her face lit up, “Will they be big!? She asked excitedly.

Klaus’ eye twitched, “We don’t know yet! We’ll just have to let them grow! Either way, they’re going to be beautiful, just like you.” He hugged her and pushed her wild hair away from her face.

“Can I see them!?” She hopped up out of her chair as Klaus stood up.

“Yes! Why don’t you go see them before I do your hair?” He patted her on the back as she bolted to her bedroom to inspect her brand-new horns.

Klaus crossed his arms, “I’m going to get arrested for putting implants in my daughter’s head.” He whined.

Ben moved to stand next to him and nodded, “Probably.” He looked towards Kenzie who was in her bedroom in front of her mirror nearly falling over trying to get a good view of her new growths.

“What are we going to do?”

Klaus threw his hands out defeatedly and sighed, “Pigtails? I don’t know!”

“We should probably get something to help with the itching – is there an ointment for that?”

“For pediatric horn growth?” Klaus said skeptically, “No idea – Why don’t we look it up on Web MD? I’m sure that’ll tell us.”

“They’ve got to have something that soothe the itching –“

Klaus nodded, his breathing was finally starting to even out, “Yeah- yeah, I’ll try to find some on my way home tomorrow. Who knows how much that shit costs.”

Ben tilted his head, “You’re working tonight?”

“Unless you’ve got the 200$ we’re short for on rent – then yes, I’m working tonight.” He moved to lean against the counter while Ben stared absently at what the toddler was doing.

“Who’s staying with her?”

Klaus thought about for a minute as if trying to bring up an old conversation, “Oh! It’s Glen.” He pouted, “He’s retiring and wants to spend more time with her. So sweet…” He twisted a rag between his hands while he spoke.

“He knows that we’re not going to just cut him out just because he’s retiring right?” Ben said with a fond smirk.

Klaus shrugged, “I would hope so—” He waved a hand absently, “We’ll deal with all the sappy, sappy stuff when he gets here.”

Kenzie sprinted into the kitchen actively jumping up and down – her energy was incorrigible, and she grabbed onto Klaus’ hand and bounced excitedly, “I saw them! I can feel them!”

She moved to Ben’s hand and started pulling him as well, “Did you see them!?”

Ben was down on her level a moment later, “I saw them! They’re so cool – what are we going to do with you? You’re getting so big!” He squished her against his chest and she giggled happily.

Klaus was watching them fondly with his hands on his hips, “So what are we doing today, team? I’m thinking park? Maybe the one outside of town with less spooks?” He glanced at Ben and nodded towards the little one with a raised eyebrow, “Some ‘free’ Hat shopping maybe?”

Kenzie dawdled between them, “we’re gonna steal some hats?”

Ben snorted.

“Honey- it’s only stealing if you get caught.” Klaus reminded her.

“And don’t repeat anything your mom says outside of the house.” Ben decided to move on – “I think that’s a good idea then we can get back in time for mom to get some sleep before he goes to work tonight, yeah?”

Kenzie cheered and Klaus bent down and scooped her up – “Let’s get that hair all fancied up – I’m thinking Pigtails!? What do you think?”

“I like pigtails.”

“Wonderful! And they look so good on you!”

Klaus wandered away with the child on his hip to finish getting her ready and Ben took a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose and close his eyes. 

“Only in this family…” He murmured lightly to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daaaaave!!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe the start of something very special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So this chapter was a bitch to write and I re wrote like three times lmao probably because I'm so hopped up on Dayquil XD This one has sort of a different vibe but things will get back into the normal demon family shenanigans next chapter. Thanks so much for reading! And thank you guys so much for all your lovely comments! I hope that you enjoy!

They had been in this particular gay club for about 40 minutes before Dave cracked and immediately had to find the exit. Even with the slight alcohol buzz the flashing lights and pounding base sent anxiety through his veins. He stumbled out through the crowd and into the street immediately taking a deeply needed breath of fresh(er) air. 

He stood there with his hands in his pockets for a while, taking deep breaths trying to stay in the moment. There was that iciness again, one moment he had been in the crowd enjoying the music and the next he thought he was going to die. Now that he was outside, he felt his veins freezing up again, a mixture of shame and self pity. 

“David!”

He turned back to where his sister was shuffling through the crowd towards him. When he left she had been passionately dancing with a woman and now her hair was tousled and her lipstick was slightly smeared. He felt bad that she had stopped to come look for him. 

“Dave - What’s going on? Are you good? I looked back and you were just gone.”

“Maybe I met some guy and we left for a little privacy.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Did you?”

He shook his head sheepishly, “No.” He sighed and squared his shoulders, “This has been great but I think I’m going to head home.”

She stared at him, “I’m not going to force you but- seriously, I’m worried about you. I’ve never seen you shut down like this.” 

He didn’t say anything she groaned, “Look, what I’m saying is if something happened to you I’d kill you, okay? I mean it.”

He nodded, catching her meaning. He forced a reassuring smile and opened his arms, “I know you’d kill me.” She hugged him tightly and for a moment he felt like crying - he hated that she was so worried about him but at the moment he couldn’t say much to reassure her. 

“Look, things are going to get better, I promise. I’m glad I came out tonight - I’ve got a good feeling about the future, okay?”

This seemed to make her feel better and she nodded, “Fine - But you better keep me updated.” She warned. “And don’t do anything stupid!”

She backed away to continue what she was doing in the club - she deserved it, she rarely took vacations and when she did she was often still taking care of other people.

Dave’s eyes scanned the area and he followed the scattered nightlife to a circular park area a block away. There were several good acts distributed around the area, dancers, performers, a few musicians all working for a few bucks through the Saturday night. Dave meandered through them, he was beginning to actually enjoy himself when an old woman in dirty clothes surrounded by a cloud of fetidness brushed against him. 

She had been mumbling to herself as she made her rounds through the area and her head snapped towards Dave and she inspected him with wild, delirious eyes. 

“I’m sorry, Ma’am--”

She hissed at him like an angry cobra and pointed a boney finger in his face, “Hell!” She warbled, “You’ll burn in hell! Flames will flay skin from bone and your flesh will rot in HELL!” She screamed at him and his nose was assaulted by the scent of decay and alcohol on her breath. 

He stumbled away, desperate to get away from her screaming and her stench. “God, I hate the city…” He grumbled to himself and stepped backwards. 

He felt his back collide with someone else - he was beginning to feel like he was in some sort of jumpscare house. He twisted around but rather than seeing another fiend he came face to face with stunning green eyes. The man he ran into was beautiful, that’s the only word that came to mind to describe him, maybe slightly taller than Dave with wavy dark hair, light facial hair and eyes that he struggled to look away from, highlighted by black liner and mascara. He was in a see through tank top, skin tight pants that left little to the imagination and gently heeled boots. 

Dave _loved_ the city. 

The man smiled, “Don’t let Mildred scare you - I’ve been to hell and it’s not really all that bad.”

“I’m sorry?” He sputtered out. 

Before he could respond the man tilted his head, he seemed to be staring right past him, “You doing okay, soldier?”

Dave glanced down, his dog tags were hidden under his shirt and he certainly didn’t know this man - he would have remembered him. 

But before he had a chance to question the man continued as if reading his mind, “I’m _very_ intuitive - about a of different things.” His eyes drifted down Dave’s body seductively. 

Dave got the hint, berating himself for not immediately understanding that this stranger was working the street, and his heart fell a little in embarrassment. The stranger seemed to clock this instantly and placed a light touch on his arm, “No, but seriously - you seem a little lost, are you okay?”

Dave swallowed and attempted to blink the rest of the world back into focus but it didn’t work - he was pulled in by this man’s eyes and his easy going smile. “Uh- yeah, I’m good- I’ve just never been to this part of town before. “ He said with a soft inadvertent laugh. “Thanks.”

Was he just severely lonely or were they having a connection? Oh god, Nora was right - he was too cooped up. A He had no idea what the hell he was thinking- actually - he did - he was thinking about the fact that he didn’t want this man to go anywhere and maybe it was the buzz in his system but he held his hand out, “I’m Dave.” He breathed out. 

The sex worker did the same and leaned forward, “Klaus. I could show you around if you want?”

Dave could feel all of his ancestors rolling in their graves.Who gives a shit, right? This is why he left in the first place - to be his own person. To meet new, beautiful people and to have new experiences. A confidence grew in his chest that he hadn’t felt in a long time- maybe the booze, maybe the intriguing spark in this stranger’s eyes. Either way, he offered his arm and Klaus took it, “I’d appreciate that.” 

************************************************************************************

“Gotta love a good old fashioned gentleman.” Klaus said as Dave opened the hotel door for his companion and waited patiently. 

Dave had been like that the whole way here as they chatted rates and rules - he was nervous and extremely vanilla about the whole thing. They went over safe words but Klaus doubted they would need them just based on how Dave vehemently denounced the possibility of slapping, choking or bondage. Klaus wasn’t complaining, it was cute, in fact he found himself legitimately enjoying their conversation as they made their way to the room. He genuinely liked a lot of his clients but he found himself drawn in by this soldier's accidental charm. 

Klaus turned on a lamp and slid out of his light jacket, setting it down next to the bed - he turned and used a finger to encourage the other man closer. He obeyed and Klaus took his hands and led him to the bed. He pushed him gently back and straddled his lap, he leaned forward and traced his hands from his neck and down his chest. 

“Is this your first time with a man?”

Dave nodded gingerly, “Yeah, pretty much. I mean, I- Yeah.” He admitted

A smile lit up Klaus’ face and he cupped Dave’s face, catching his eyes reassuringly, “I’m honored - I’ll take good care of you, okay? And don’t worry about what anybody says. This is beautiful.” He kissed his neck softly, “Special.” He kissed his lips, “Natural.”

Dave nodded, swallowing hard. His hands remained at his sides staring up at the man on top of him. 

“You can touch, Dave.” Klaus said with a smirk. 

Dave didn’t need to be told twice and his hands flew to Klaus’ waist, pushing up the shirt and tenderly moving his fingers up and down, exploring the other man’s skin. Klaus nodded encouragingly and kissed him again, he raked his fingers down Dave’s shoulders, not enough to leave a mark but enough to make him moan lightly in response. 

Klaus led them - letting the other man explore his body as he got more comfortable with the feelings of their bodies pressing against each other. There was no need to rush, although, practically, Dave probably didn’t want to drop any more money than he had to on a prostitute so after a few minutes Klaus ground his ass down against his lap, creating some hotter friction. 

Dave’s eyes closed and he groaned, Klaus did it again, letting the other man’s responses guide how hard he went down. He sped up the pace and kissed down the soldier’s neck, he could feel the other man’s erection and he brought his hands down to tug at his belt. 

Dave let out an involuntary whine and suddenly he sat back - his face was flushed, he put his hands up, “I’m sorry - can we -? He stuttered out, a look of uneasiness flooding his eyes. 

Klaus stopped and straightened his back, watching the other man closely, “Color?”

Dave took a deep breath, “Um - yellow?” Then he added quickly, “I am so sorry - I just-”

Klaus rolled off, falling softly to the mattress and settling on his side, “Hey,don’t apologize - This is your time. You want my mouth - you got it. You want my ear? You got that too.”

Klaus glanced around at the very telling group of spirits that had attached themselves to the man and followed him around screaming incessantly at him, although he couldn't hear them, Klaus had a feeling that brought people down having that around them whether they knew it or not. Several of them were speaking and it gave Klaus a well enough idea of how much Dave was trying to escape from, of the things he had seen. 

Dave seemed to be shutting down, staring at the floor and specifically avoiding eye contact with the other man. One of the people he had killed circled around and screamed a death threat into Dave’s face - maybe he was thinking about him?

Klaus turned over in the bed until he was laying with his back to Dave, he casually curled his arm around the pillow and relaxed his shoulder. He let the silence fall through the room and he did his best to will the ghosts away. 

It was several minutes later when he felt Dave shifting in the bed behind him, he felt him gingerly settle onto his side and move a little closer until Klaus could feel the warmth of his body against his spine. He felt him let out a shaky exhale. 

“Dave?”

There was a pause. 

“Yeah?”

“You can touch.”

Dave waited a moment before wrapping an arm around him and cuddling up closer against his back. Klaus intertwined their fingers and rubbed small circles against the back of his hand, he could feel the tension vibrating through his body and it took several more minutes before Dave seemed to melt and he pressed his face into Klaus’ neck. 

A ghost moved close to them and growled something violently homophobic into Dave’s spirit deaf ears. Something clenched in Klaus’ chest and he tightened his grip on the soldier’s hand. Dave responded by pulling him closer to his chest and curling into him. 

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Dave - and I’m very happy you’re here with me.”

Dave pressed his face deeper into Klaus’ neck and inhaled sharply. 

Klaus closed his eyes and attempted to focus, he let himself drift through his memories. He pulled an image of Kenzie into the forefront of his mind - 

_It faded away and he was sitting on his knees in their tiny one bedroom apartment, he looked around and took in the sound of heavy rain being blown against the window._

_Kenzie was in front of him, she had just started walking and still needed a lot of support or she would tumble forwards. She had one hand holding steady against his “GOOD BYE” palm and he remembered her looking up and giggling. He kissed his HELLO palm and blew it towards her with a loud “Muah” sound. “I love you, Kenzie!”_

_She copied him, kissing her palm and blowing him a kiss, “I love you, momma!” She yelled._

He exhaled and a rush of blue energy expanded throughout the hotel room and the ghosts following Dave began to dissolve away. They protested but soon their forms went silent and their bodies dispersed away into a harmless blue haze. After a moment they were finally alone- pressed against each other in the bed and Klaus felt Dave’s breathing steady and the tension in his body fall away. 

Klaus didn’t mean to- in fact, he had never done this before, but after a little while he fell asleep. A deep slumber where he didn’t dream or wake up screaming even once. He woke up naturally, his mind taking a moment to figure out where he was or what he was doing then as it came back to him he sat up in a panic. 

It was five in the morning, he had slept the entire night uninterrupted, he looked around and found that Dave must have either realized that he fell asleep or woke up later because he was asleep on the other side of the bed- he had placed two pillows between them like a barrier and covered Klaus in the blanket which might have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for him. 

The ghosts were gone for good and the room was silent. 

Klaus threw the blanket off of him and pulled his boots back on, he would be late getting home before Kenzie woke up and he still had to go by the pharmacy to pick up something for her itching scalp. He would have to steal it because since he was dumb enough to fall asleep he had only made an hour worth of money - the money Dave had already given him before their evening started. 

He grabbed his jacket and glanced one last time at the soldier sleeping soundly in the bed - Klaus felt so safe with him, obviously since he had let all of his guards down and he was touched by how gentle and considerate he had been. He debated briefly on leaving his number but then his mind flashed back to Leon and he decided against it - maybe Dave would become a regular. He would like that. 

Klaus left the room, as he got to the bottom of the stairs - kicking himself for fucking up so badly. He shoved his hands in his pockets and his fingers came in contact with something and he pulled out an entire night's worth of work in large bills. Dave must have put it there when he woke up. 

“Oh…” Klaus whined and held the money against his chest before glancing back at the hotel room. 

If the situation had been different Klaus would have gone back instead he shoved the money back into his pocket and hurried to the pharmacy - trying to get home before his daughter woke up.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This job interview is ridiculous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, my dudes - this one's a mess and I hope it doesn't disappoint! There was just a lot that I wanted to get in there and I may add more later. Anyway - Your comments have literally made my life lately, thank you so much! I hope that you enjoy!!

“Klaus, I need you to tell me where your phone’s at. I can’t find it.” Ben’s voice was firm, he was attempting to remain calm, but he was pretty sure that their time was running out fast.

Klaus blinked slowly – his brother’s voice echoed distantly in his head through the pounding ache. He was curled up around the toilet holding his head between his hands, he had started getting sick in the middle of the night and his condition had continued to worsen throughout the day. Now, they were in midafternoon and he had crawled into the bathroom and started vomiting. That was forty minutes ago, and he was still on the floor, glassy eyed and sweating profusely against the porcelain rim. 

“Klaus, where is your phone?” Ben tried again. 

“I dunno… I can’t remember..” He mumbled, his breath hitched, and he gagged into the bowl again, nothing came up and he groaned.

Ben reached down to check his brother’s forehead, but his hand went straight through the sick man’s face.

A spike of icy cold shot through his head and Klaus shuddered, his body jolted away effectively slamming the side of his jaw into the toilet. He whined and held onto his face – when he looked up, his brother’s features warbled and twisted – along with the spinning room. “Get away from me…” he mumbled as the walls seemed to push in closer.

“Shit.”

Ben attempted to grab the thermometer off the counter, but he phased through it in a similar fashion. This was quickly turning into an emergency as delirium took over Klaus - If Ben couldn’t take care of Kenzie then things could quickly begin to spiral. And Klaus would probably survive this but who knows what kind of damage could be done to his body in the meantime. 

Ben’s mind raced through the situation, “Okay, okay, we’re okay - Sophie was sending over that new guy to interview with you, he should be over at some point. In the meantime, I’m going to try to find your phone.” He knew that his words would wash uselessly over Klaus but having a plan made him feel a little better. 

“Uncle Ben? Momma?” Kenzie started smacking on the bathroom door, “Where’d you go? Momma!” 

Klaus jumped, his hands slid down from his face and he looked around, “Kenzie – Just a second, pumpkin.” He attempted to get up but immediately fell backwards as a wave of dizziness took hold. “Shit…”

Instinctively Ben tried to push his brother back down, “I’ve got her - just, I don’t know - try not to have a seizure. I’ll be back soon.”

Klaus waved him off, “I got it – I’m fine.” 

“I haven’t seen you this sick since you were in withdrawals after Kenzie was born. Just stay put.”

Klaus’ legs slipped out from underneath him and Ben took that as a confirmation that he was going to stay put. 

Kenzie was still in her pajamas and her hair hadn’t been brushed since the day before so Ben could already imagine all the rat’s nests they would have to untangle. She looked up at Ben then back at the door expectantly. 

“Hey, kiddo -” Ben attempted to grab her hand but phased directly through it. “I need you to help me with something--”

“I had an accident- “She said ignoring him then smacked on the bathroom door again, “Momma!?”

“Sweetie, Momma’s sick, okay? Let’s give him some space - You had an accident?” He was uselessly attempting to steer her away from the bathroom door. 

She nodded then shouted separately towards the door with concern, “Sick? You’re sick, momma!?”

Ben was looking her over as best he could without being able to touch her, “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”’

She shook her head, watching the bathroom door stubbornly. She finally looked back to her uncle and then pointed to the kitchen, “I spilled my drink but it’s okay I cleaned it up.”

Ben exhaled a sigh of relief, that was manageable. 

She reluctantly led him into the kitchen, and he followed her closely, he looked around and then dragged his palm over his face and closed his eyes. By “drink” she should have said “entire carton of milk and a half gallon of orange juice” and by “Cleaned it up” she should have said “I dragged the clothes out of my drawer and threw them around to sop it up”

Kenzie waded into the milk / orange juice mixture on the floor and pressed one of her dresses into a puddle, “I can clean it up.” She said confidently. 

“But I’m still thirsty!” She added.

Ben sighed, “I can see that - I’m sorry I can’t - Kenzie, just leave that okay? Someone’s going to be here soon.” She shuffled out of the mixture and tracked milky orange footprints into the living room. Ben felt worse than useless at the moment – some days it felt like he was truly alive but when something like this happened, he was bitterly reminded that he was in fact dead.

30 minutes later when Ben heard the knock at the front door he could have cheered. He had pulled Kenzie away from the mess in the kitchen and they were now in the middle of an apartment wide search for Klaus’ stupid phone. Even with Ben coordinating and pointing and Kenzie lifting things up to search underneath, they had zero luck locating the damn thing. 

Kenzie looked up at the sound then to her uncle. 

“Kenzie, I’m going to check them out, but I need you to open the door, can you do that for me?”

“I’m not supposed to open the door!” She reminded him.

She had been acting out - honestly with good reason, she had barely seen her father all day and when he was out he was acting strange, she was thirsty, her socks were sticky and uncomfortable and her uncle Ben was leading her on a wild goose chase. Ben knew she was at the end of her four-year-old rope and he just needed her to hold on a little bit longer. 

“I know - But right now you’re the only one who can do it, okay? Please - Kenzie.”

She stood up and stomped out of the room, on her way out she slapped the bathroom door again, “Momma! There’s somebody here! Momma!”

Klaus had his head laying pathetically on the edge of the toilet - effectively switching between feeling like he was on fire then being so cold his teeth would chatter and he would feel the need to call for Ben. He lifted his face and looked around at the sound of Kenzie’s voice - suddenly he couldn’t remember how long he had been in the bathroom and his heart started to beat faster. Was she alone? Somebody was here?

He moved forward onto his hands and knees until he was staring at the cold linoleum, the world was spinning around him and the only thing that kept him from vomiting again was focusing on his hand against the floor. 

_Stop struggling Number Four - Your siblings must train as well. Using your particular gifts as an excuse for fear will only limit your potential._

His father’s voice assaulted his ears and he immediately crouched and tried to cover his head - trying anything to get him to go away. 

_Klaus was laying on a cold metal table in the medical bay- his arms were strapped down and he was sobbing - begging his father to just leave him alone. Ever since he had died falling down the stairs in Grace’s heels and come back to life, father had been experimenting on him more frequently. He tried to argue with him, tried to tell him how awful it felt to have your soul leave, to find peace only then to be shoved back into your body._

_Tired of listening to the boy’s whining, Reginald grabbed the Number Four’s wrist and plunged a needle into the vein. He turned casually to Grace whose processors had to be adjusted for these particular experiments, “Start the timer.”_

_“I’m sorry!” He sobbed - he didn’t know what for but he just wanted it all to end. He would come back - but until then he fought against the restraints as the poison burned through his blood and his body began to shut down._

__He whimpered as he ripped himself back to the present and he struggled to get his bearings - where was Kenzie?_ _

___“Momma! There’s somebody here! Momma!”_ _ _

___“Stop your sniveling, Number Four - Face your fears like a man.”_ _ _

____Klaus' heart pounded in his chest just sending more waves of pain through his fever addled mind. He crawled to the door and started clawing his way out of the bathroom - breath coming in short bursts. “No, no, no, no, not my baby…” He begged no one, pushing through the dizziness to keep moving._ _ _ _

____***********************************************************************************************_ _ _ _

____Dave waited patiently at the door of the address the chief had scribbled down on the corner of a notebook. This was weird - The whole situation was just weird and the chief didn’t give him much information but after he had passed her rigorous reviews she said he would have to interview with a “Mr. Hargreeves.” before he would know for sure his placement on the team._ _ _ _

____He had already been working at the station for several weeks and the drills and the demanding work had given him a much needed sense of purpose. He liked the people and although he found himself intimidated by the chief, she still insisted that she believed he could be a good match for this “Assignment”._ _ _ _

____Again, they had given him little to no information and he really wasn’t seeing what kind of “assignment” a firefighter would be doing._ _ _ _

____Finally, after a while he heard the door unlock then it was cracked open just slightly, he looked down to see a small face staring up at him with suspicion. The child was probably between 3 or 4 and she had dark, wild hair that curled around her face. She had big green eyes that seemed to shine with nervousness._ _ _ _

____He glanced around in confusion, “Um- hi - Is your--”_ _ _ _

____“No thank you!” She said, then she slammed the door shut._ _ _ _

____He heard her speaking to someone but couldn’t hear the other voice. A moment later she opened it again, this time she backed away - her lip stuck out in a defiant pout. “Uncle Ben said I had to let you in.”_ _ _ _

____He glanced around at the complete mess that covered the kitchen floor and suddenly he was concerned for very different reasons. There was also no one else in the room._ _ _ _

____“Kenzie!?” A frantic, hoarse voice came from the other side of the apartment. Out of the back hallway a face that Dave was truly afraid he would never see again stumbled into the area._ _ _ _

____No longer dolled up, he was in a t- shirt and pajama pants which had been soaked through with sweat and hung off his body making him look too thin and zombie-like. The sharp eyes were delirious and confused. Even from this distance Dave could see his shoulders trembling and his legs struggling to keep himself upright._ _ _ _

____Dave’s jaw fell open but before he could even respond to whatever the hell was happening Klaus yelled again._ _ _ _

____“Kenzie, come here, now!” He had all of his weight against the wall and he was shuffling forwards. The toddler bolted towards him and he fell forward onto his hands and knees with a crack._ _ _ _

____Dave ran inside, nearly slipping on the soaking wet floor as he did but catching himself before he could completely faceplant. Klaus grabbed onto the child and she clung onto his neck, “You can’t have her!” He snapped then added with a delirious whine “Don’t take my baby…” He held out the palm with the word “GOODBYE” tattooed on it as if shielding the toddler._ _ _ _

____Dave stopped in his tracks and knelt down slowly, Klaus’ eyes were staring straight past him, darting around feverishly._ _ _ _

____“Klaus?” He said as softly as he could._ _ _ _

____Klaus blinked, attempting to focus his eyes._ _ _ _

____“Klaus, I’m not going to take her away - I’m here to help you. Chief Alvarez sent me, okay?”_ _ _ _

____The child, Kenzie, was getting more frantic, burying her face in her father’s shoulder and crying. His head tilted and for a moment he made direct eye contact and he exhaled slowly. Then his face twisted in more confusion._ _ _ _

____“Dave?” He choked out._ _ _ _

____Then he collapsed. Dave dove forward to catch his head before it slammed into the edge of a metal coffee table. He lowered him carefully to the floor as Kenzie ran the opposite direction, he checked his pulse then put his head against his chest to check his breathing. It was shallow but steady. Klaus' head was burning up - he must have been in the middle of a fever fueled nightmare._ _ _ _

____He laid him down, pulling off his own jacket to use as a makeshift pillow and started fishing in his pockets for his phone._ _ _ _

____“Uncle Ben, make him go away!” Kenzie was standing to the side sobbing, she wasn’t leaving the room but she stayed out of reach of the stranger._ _ _ _

____Dave looked around - verifying once again that they were the only people there. Still on his knees he reached out a placating hand, “It’s Kenzie, right?”_ _ _ _

____She didn’t answer him, she pulled her shoulder as if someone was trying to grab it then balled up her little fists and screamed - as she did so her body erupted into red and blue flames that engulfed everything around her and sent a wave of burning air directing into his face._ _ _ _

____“HOLY MOTHER OF F-” Dave scrambled backwards, falling into the wall and nearly kicking Klaus’ unconscience body in the process. A loosely hung painting fell and landed painfully on his shoulder before falling away._ _ _ _

____She screamed again and the fire just burned brighter around her body - Dave’s entire body was shaking as he clawed over and grabbed a fire extinguisher. He pointed it at the child and sprayed her down with water until the fire around her body and the fire spreading across the tile floor was out._ _ _ _

____He didn’t let go of it, watching her in horror as the insanity of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. No wonder they were being so secretive - no wonder they needed firefighters on call at this apartment. In the wake of all the fire and fury, Kenzie was still standing in the middle of the room crying and talking to “Uncle Ben”._ _ _ _

____Despite his initial fear, Dave’s heart broke watching her - she was obviously a seriously dangerous person but mostly she was just a very scared child._ _ _ _

____He fell to his knees and clasped his hands in front of him - trying to make himself as non threatening as possible. “Kenzie - I am so sorry that I scared you.”_ _ _ _

____Kenzie didn’t respond but she side stepped closer to Klaus._ _ _ _

____“With your dad being so sick - you must have been so scared… Have you had a bad day?”_ _ _ _

____She watched him carefully but nodded with a loud sniffle, “My momma..” She corrected him._ _ _ _

____“Your momma, my apologies.” He moved a little closer to Klaus, his eyes scanned over his sleeping body. Half of his mind was calculating how fast he needed to move to get this fever down before it started doing permanent damage. The other half was on the nuclear child sobbing in front of him._ _ _ _

____“And then I showed and made everything worse and so much scarier. Some old dude you don’t even know coming into your home - I can’t imagine. But look at you! You’re so tough, taking care of your momma like that - he must be so proud of you. Heck, I’m proud of you!”_ _ _ _

____She sniffed and wiped her face with her hand, pouting intensely but the active sobbing had finally started to cease._ _ _ _

____“I want to make it up to you - but your momma’s very sick. We’re going to take care of him and he’s going to be okay but I need you to trust me, Okay? I can’t do this without you, Kenzie.” She was watching him carefully, her eyes darting between Dave and an empty space off to the side._ _ _ _

____After a moment he cautiously moved towards her and held out a hand, “I’m Dave.” She shuffled a little closer and grabbed his finger and shook it, “And I’m really sorry you’ve had such a scary day.”_ _ _ _

____She nodded and then went back to Klaus and sat down next to him. Dave followed her and placed a hand on the sick man’s forehead - they needed to get that fever down. Fast._ _ _ _

____“Okay - I’m going to pick him up and take him to the bed now. If I do anything you don’t like you just punch me, okay?”_ _ _ _

____She nodded, her face lighting up._ _ _ _

____“If I do something that scares you, what are you going to do?”_ _ _ _

____She extended a fist and punched him in the jaw, he dramatically fell over with a loud “Oof!” sound. He popped back up and shook his head like a dog, she smiled and he couldn’t help but grin. “Just like that - now, let's make this a better day.”_ _ _ _

____Dave heaved Klaus over his shoulder “Lead the way, captain!” Kenzie jumped up and he followed her into the bedroom where he laid him down._ _ _ _

____Throughout the rest of the day, despite the literal insanity that he was suddenly living, Dave remained focused on treating Klaus. But between treating the fever, giving him water, and reassuring him through fever dreams - Dave also had to clean the kitchen, feed Kenzie, brush Kenzie’s hair, do the laundry, and just generally keep the child’s mind off of her sick father._ _ _ _

____Not exactly what he had been expecting when he signed up to be a firefighter- but he wasn’t complaining. As Kenzie finally settled down for the night curled up next to her father and Dave pulled up a seat to continue his rotation of wiping Klaus face down with a cool rag and monitoring his temperature - Dave found himself feeling content. It had been a long time since he felt like he had actually made a difference._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____**************************************************************************************_ _ _ _

____When Klaus finally woke up the severe pounding in his head had lessened to a dull ache and the nauseating dizziness had all but disappeared. His entire body was sore and weak and he couldn’t remember how he ended up in his own bed - in fact, he barely remembered - oh shit…_ _ _ _

____His eyes shot open and he looked around, the panic in his chest subsided as he realized that Kenzie was snuggled up against his arm, wrapped in a separate blanket. He reached over and pushed the hair away from her face and sighed in relief- his memories distant and confused._ _ _ _

____He turned his head to find Dave sitting casually in a kitchen chair reading a book - he looked up and tilted his head as if studying him. He looked tired, however he still gave Klaus a comforting smile and closed the book, marking his spot._ _ _ _

____“Dave?” Klaus’ throat felt like a dessert and he coughed slightly after speaking._ _ _ _

____Dave got up and immediately helped him take a sip of cool water, he sat back down, “You had us worried there for a little while.”_ _ _ _

____God, Klaus loved his voice…_ _ _ _

____He glanced over to see Ben standing in the doorway, “How did he do?” He asked his brother with a small smirk._ _ _ _

____Ben huffed, “Not going to lie- I thought he was a dead man for sure - but he turned it around. And he saved your sorry ass, so...”_ _ _ _

____Klaus threw his palms up in a weak cheer, “Ben says ‘you’re hired!’”_ _ _ _

____Dave glanced slowly back at the doorway with a nervous expression then faced Klaus again, “How are you feeling?”_ _ _ _

____Klaus shrugged, “I’ve been through worse…” He was so tired still and his eyelids felt like they were covered in concrete. “I’m really sorry, Dave…” He said softly._ _ _ _

____The firefighter leaned forward, “Hey, don’t apologize - this is your time.”_ _ _ _

____That made the sick man laugh weakly and he rolled his head over, “Hmm..”_ _ _ _

____Dave wiped a cool rag over his forehead and it felt like heaven against his skin. They had so much to talk about, there was so much he needed to ask and so much to explore - but that would have to wait until morning. Right now, he felt safe._ _ _ _

____“Dave?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah?”_ _ _ _

____“You can stay?” He murmured._ _ _ _

____Dave leaned over and lightly squeezed his hand. The gesture said a million words Klaus fell asleep imagining every single one of them._ _ _ _


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty!! (Also, Kenzie's final power reveal!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm slowing it down a little from the craziness of the last chapter. Actually, when I was thinking of this story this was the only chapter that I had planned so it only took me 15 chapter to get to it XD Thank you all so much for your precious comments they have completely brightened the past few weeks of my life! Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoy!!

Hayworth & Perry’s Occult Corner was a small shop, operating steadily for 20 years, nestled in between a bail firm and a pawn shop. It didn’t beg for attention and despite its unique clientele the store fit in perfectly with the rough neighborhood surrounding it. Seemingly immune to break ins - Perry and Hayworth marketed the place as a safe place for all things weird, evil, and supernatural while simultaneously offering tools for practical witchcraft and spiritual paths.

The shop itself was crowded with shelves, all filled to the brim with magical, spiritual, or just interesting items. It could be an overwhelming place for newcomers but those who came in regularly knew of all the little nooks and crannies where you could just sit and read or meditate. Always a little smokey with incense and dim with limited lighting – Hayworth and Perry had imbued the crusty old convenience store foundation with personality and warmth.

More importantly to Klaus – If the two old witches hadn’t given him a chance when he was just attempting to get his life together, who knows what would have happened as they struggled to take care of a newborn. It was the only job he had ever managed to keep for more than 2 months and the only steady paycheck he had ever enjoyed. It helped that they were more than happy to let Kenzie stay in the shop while he was working, and they even became her own personal spiritual guides.

Today, Klaus was nearing the end of his four hour shift and Ben was sitting casually on the counter, swinging his legs while Klaus busied himself with tying herbs into bundles and stacking them into a stick basket.

“Who’s babysitting this week?” Ben was inspecting his brother closely. 

“Jessie and Dave, I think…”

“Huh.”

Klaus shot a look at his brother at his smug tone, “Are we mad that it’s not Liev again? Someone cranky ‘cause they can’t creep on the sexy firefighter?”

Ben retaliated with a glare, “I’m not - Never mind - No, Liev’s not working because they worked last week but so did Dave, so it’s weird that he got double shifted this month, right?”

“How should I know?” He said with a dismissive shrug. 

When there was no response from the other he finally looked up and sighed, he plopped a bundle into the basket and crossed his arms. “I thought you liked Dave?”

“I do - It’s just that he’s been hanging around a lot more these past few months.”

Klaus threw his hands up, “Well, maybe he likes us. I don’t know, why don’t you ASK him?”

Ben raised an eyebrow “Oh, he definitely likes you - that’s what I’m afraid of. Especially since you’ve been head over heels for him from the beginning - and you still haven’t told me how you even met the guy the first time around.”

“Oh my god! Maybe I have been, is that a crime? Maybe he’s been sweet and strong and he treats me like... - so what? Can’t I be happy too?”

“Yes - but I also don’t want this thing to turn into a complete shitshow like last time.”

Klaus frowned, “What, you think Dave is going to start beating me around? Yelling and all that…” There was a bitterness in his tone that made Ben cringe slightly. 

“No, I don’t think that. But I also didn’t think that about Leon. I mean, he was sweet too, right? The only thing Dave’s got different is that he’s been ‘approved’ by Alvarez.”

“There’s a lot different from Leon..” Klaus murmured. 

“I just.” Ben exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose, “-- Don’t want you or Kenzie to get hurt again because of some random guy.”

“What, when I make him snap?” Klaus said quietly, staring at the ground with a scowl.

Ben paused, “What?”

Klaus turned to his brother, “You mean, when I take a good person and I just --” He made an example of prodding Ben rapidly with his finger, “Needle them until they snap!”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“Isn’t it though?”

The front door ringing stopped their argument and Klaus flipped his invisible brother off before turning and flashing a charming smile. A middle-aged woman with a soccer mom haircut shuffled inside gripped her purse tightly against her shoulder and holding a box. 

Klaus displayed his hands, “Welcome. To Hayworth and Perry’s- what can I do for you on this truly magical day?”

She set the box down on the counter, “Yeah, um - we were going through my late mom’s house and --”

“I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks - Anyway, we found this old doll in her attic…” She pulled out a life size antique doll in a dated nightgown, one of those old plastic ones with the eye mechanisms that weighed the head and clicked loudly when moved up and down. It wasn’t in great shape, one eye was loose and the paint was cracked ominously - “Look, my husband says I’m crazy but-” She set it down and stared at it with a grimace “The thing just creeps me out and I thought… Maybe you’d know what to do with it?”

Klaus calmly picked up the doll and inspected it - a black oozing energy was seeping out of the eyes and hair. In his hands he could feel the spirit inside moving throughout the vessel like a thrumming heart. When he put it back down, the thing growled, and a ghostly clawed hand swiped out of the chest. 

“Yup! Definitely possessed!” He glanced pointedly at his brother, “Man, these spirits are a pain in the ass today, aren’t they!”

She didn’t look comforted, “Okay… So what can I do about it?”

Klaus sighed, “Well, I can exorcise it for a fee, or we can just take it off your hands. Up to you!”

She hesitated, “How much will you give me for it?”

Klaus moved it around in his hands, “10 bucks?”

When she didn’t respond he amended, “Okay, 15 - in honor of your dear mother.”

After a moment she finally nodded, “Yeah- You know, I don’t want that thing in my house. Possessed or not.”

“Fantastic! We’ll take good care of her for you -” As he handed the woman her 15 bucks he also slid a smudge bundle across the counter - “On the house - I think you’ll need it.” He winked and the woman quickly took the bundle and left the store

Klaus, wanting to end the current conversation with his brother, put the doll back into the box and began to carry it to the alley out back. On his way out he passed Kenzie as she played with her toys in the tiny kitchen break room. She looked up but didn’t say anything as he moved passed her with the extra creepy doll whose spirit had started howling from close contact to the Seance causing the arm and leg joints to rattle. 

Once outside he pulled out the doll and without hesitating bitch slapped the face - The head snapped to the side and a ghost began to crawl out of the eyes, snarling and biting at the assault. Klaus opened his palm and pushed it out with one more slap, finalizing the exorcism with a firm, “Get the fuck out!”

The spirit fell away and dashed into the air - disappearing with a scream a moment later. Klaus looked down at the now empty vessel and softly turned it’s head back forward and straightened out it’s nightgown. He left the box and carried the doll like a real baby back inside.

He had just made it through the door when he heard a sharp “Hargreeves!” Klaus set the old doll on the counter and jogged back into the main store - he found Miss Perry, a comically short mystical old woman who could have been anywhere from 40 - 110 years old. It was impossible to tell. 

“Just cleaned out a new doll - I thought you could sell it on your --” He made a typing motion with your hands “Ebay.” He put his hands on his hips and smiled proudly. 

She was standing next to the counter with a far-off expression, “Hm - Is it haunted?”

He laughed, “Well, I mean - not anymore but that’s my job isn’t it?”

She waved him off, “I’ll look at it later - I need to see you in my office, immediately.”

“Oh no- am I in detention!?” He grinned but as she turned around his face fell, he clenched his hands together and followed her to her “office” which was really just an old desk she had crammed in the back corner with a milk crate painted black as a chair. 

Ben watched his brother go with the boss. When he was out of earshot the ghost kicked the counter, “Shit!” He snapped to no one. 

He had been waiting for a while when he heard a commotion coming from the break room followed immediately after by a loud crash then a cry. He bolted to the breakroom and found Kenzie prone on the floor next to the old shelf they had told her a thousand times not to climb on. She was holding her knee and crying. 

“Uncle Ben!” She whined, her face was screwed up and turning red. 

Ben was kneeling down next to her a split second later, “Kenzie, Kenzie - breath, okay? Breath in-” He inhaled deeply, “Breath out…” He exhaled and repeated it several times until she was starting to copy him - they had been over this exercise many times in the past as they worked on preventing flame ups, particularly in public. She was doing a lot better.

“That’s it - now think cold, calming thoughts. It’s going to be okay. Now, tell me what hurts.”

She uncurled her leg to reveal a pretty nasty scrape on her knee, it was bleeding slightly but it wasn’t very deep. Upon seeing it her face screwed up like she was going to start crying again.

Ben was actually kind of thankful that Klaus was busy at the moment as he tended to have worse reactions than she did when it came to even minor injuries. It was funny watching his brother panic and become faint at even so much as a skinned elbow because he had personally seen him get stabbed then laugh about it while he bled out. It would be even funnier when Kenzie was old enough not to immediately absorb those emotions and start having an even bigger tantrum.

“Hey – that’s not so bad, come here—” He picked her up and carried her to the counter. He took her face and focused her, “Nothing a little band aid can’t fix, right?”

She sniffed and nodded in confirmation.

After washing the knee and putting antibiotic ointment on the scrape- Ben was just finishing the careful job of placing a Doc Mcstuffins band-aid on the wound when Klaus bolted into the room waving a piece of paper.

“Guys! Guess wha— Christ on a cracker- what the shit is that!?” He stumbled backwards, holding himself and staring in horror at the floor.

Ben whipped around to find his brother pointing a frantic finger to the floor – the spot where he was pointing was directly where Kenzie had fallen. In the small smear of blood from her knee something was dragging itself from the substance. A small – grapefruit sized creature made of what looked like shifting, solid blood colored flesh began to crawl forward. It had tiny, hand-like points despite its general roundness and two black eyes – one of which was bulbous and sticking out.

It dragged itself forward and stretched out the two hands, a toothless mouth opened as if yawning and it blinked slowly; looking around at its surroundings, much like a baby animal that had just been born. It would have been kind of cute if not for the disfigured appearance of the thing.

Klaus skirted past it to stand in front of Kenzie, “What did you do?” He hissed at his brother. Then he turned to his daughter, “Pumpkin, are you okay?” He asked, seeing the band-aid and all the supplies lined out on the counter. 

Ben had been staring at the thing in complete shock – unable to say anything, “She- she scraped her knee – Klaus, what the hell is that!?”

It stumbled forward with the incoordination of a really fat baby and looked directly at Kenzie – it put its weird little arms up and croaked, “Rot- rot!”

Both men shuffled backwards and screamed, pressing up against the counter and shielding themselves with their hands. Kenzie, on the other hand giggled, “Kitty!” She cried happily and attempted to hop off the counter.

Klaus held her back, “No- No, that is not a cat! Or a beloved Pixar character – Kenzie, stay back..”

The blood fiend toppled forward cutely then popped out a small pair of legs – it hopped up proudly, “Rot- rot!”

The adults screamed again, Ben picked up Kenzie who was reaching for the strange creature and giggling – he smacked his brother on the arm “Banish it, Klaus!” He snapped.

Klaus jumped but took a shaky step forward, flashing his palms out despite Kenzie’s adamant protests. A flash of blue came from his hands and hit the creature. The blood fiend melted instantly into a puddle of goo then a second later reformed with a cartoonish “Pop!”  
It shuddered then hopped back up, “Rot- rot!”

Klaus turned back, “Well, that’s all I’ve got!” He announced and huddled back into the cabinet with his family.

“Kitty! I want to pet it!”

Ben, who was still holding on to his niece, flashed a look at his brother then gestured silently to the blood fiend.

Klaus got his meaning, “What?! No! We don’t know what that thing can do?”

The blood fiend was now running in a circle until it got dizzy then would topple over with a soft “rot-rot” sound.

“Look, she repels warped and evil ghosts – she made this thing and it seems to like her, lets just see what happens.”

Klaus threw his hand out, “It could be evil!”

The creature ran into a wall, squeaked, deflated, then reformed, its bulbous eyes glared at the offending feature.

“It came from Kenzie’s blood! How evil could it be!?” Ben argued and Kenzie was fully on her uncle’s side – watching her father with bated breath.

“Please, momma!”

Klaus let out a defeated sigh, “I mean- why not, right? Honestly, I don’t know why I’m even surprised at this point.”

A few moments later Klaus was crawling next to Kenzie while she excitedly approached the tiny creature with a huge grin on her face. The thing was vibrating with excitement as she came closer.

“Hi Kitty!”

The blood fiend jumped into her arms and Klaus yelped – but before he could do anything, she hugged the creature tightly to her chest. It made a deflating sound, slipped through her fingers and fell to the floor where it reformed and shook like a dog.

She giggled and grabbed it up – she kissed it and the blood fiend began to wag its weird, half formed vestigial tail in happiness. She squished it to her chest and looked up at Klaus, “I love him! Can we keep him! Please!”

Her father gagged a little but looked towards Ben, “That thing is an abomination to nature.”

Ben smirked, “Well, I think it might be our abomination to nature now.” He leaned forward, “Also, what else are we supposed to do with it? Hayworth and Perry are going to be pissed if they found out we summoned something else in their shop.”

Klaus groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Okay, fine – You can keep it.” 

Kenzie cheered.

He put a finger up, “BUT – you have to take care of it.” He looked around, “And, I don’t want it out in the open – here—” He grabbed the empty doll vessel off the counter and handed it to her, “See if it wants to go in there, that way it won’t- I don’t know, wonder off..”

She took the doll and pressed the blood fiend close to it – the creature enthusiastically crawled into the broken eyeball and disappeared inside the vessel. The mechanism in the dolls head rattled and a croaking “Rot- rot!” came from it. Kenzie snuggled it close, “This is your bed, Rot-rot! I love you!”

“That’s horrifying…” Klaus whined softly.

Kenzie looked back up at her father, “Thank you, momma!”

He patted her on the back, “No problem – It’s almost time to go home, pumpkin. Go tell the shop thank you and good -bye.”

She didn’t have to be asked twice, this was a part of their normal routine put in place by Hayworth and Perry. All things must be treated with respect and the shop must be thanked for its protection and time before leaving every day. If you didn’t do it, they always seemed to know.  
It was a basic spiritual practice that they brought into their own home – since, honestly, they were kind of in a weird spot when it came to spirituality.

Kenzie didn’t let go of the now blood fiend possessed doll and skipped away, first hugging the doorway, “I love you! Thank you!” Then she moved on, she would be in the rest of the shop for a while doing this while Klaus locked up. This was Kenzie’s important “job” when she went to work with her father.

After she had left to continue thanking the store, Klaus walked up to the spot where “Rot-rot” was summoned and stomped on it, “That thing better not need a litter box, asshole!” He snapped into the floor, presumably, at Satan.

“Well, she has been saying that she wants a pet.” Ben had turned around and was now putting away the first aid supplies. He picked up the piece of paper that Klaus had originally brought into the room and read it over. It was a schedule. He looked up, “They’re putting you on full time?”

Klaus turned from his spot, glaring at the floor and looked up – a brief smile flashed across his features and he nodded, “With a raise.”

“Holy shit, I thought they were firing you!” Ben ran up and pulled his brother into a hug, “Klaus, I’m actually proud of you – this is amazing!”

He laughed then let his shoulders fall as Ben let go, “This is going to make things so much easier...” He sighed.

Ben was almost jumping up and down with excitement – his mind was already calculating the extra money that would be brought in and the things that they had been needing. A set paycheck that didn’t involve Klaus potentially risking his life every night with strangers.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time – After debating back and forth with Alvarez, they had decided not to put Kenzie in public school until the first grade (when hopefully she would be able to control her power better). So, they were going to have to start homeschooling Kenzie; now they would be able to buy more necessities for that venture.

Klaus had locked the back door and Ben was following him out into the main shop. He opened the register and began to count it; in the background they could hear Kenzie’s systematic “Thank you! I love you!” As she worked her way through the aisles and cleansed the items on them. Once he was finished counting and locking the register he looked up and smiled fondly at his daughter.

“You’re right, Ben…” He breathed.

“What?”

Klaus didn’t look at him as he spoke, “It’s not worth the risk – I’ll—I’ll talk to Dave.”

Ben honestly felt a little bad but his mind still flashed to his brother’s sobbing face and the broken, _“I thought he was going to hurt her..”_ The moment where Ben could have unleashed the horror on Leon and not felt a damn bit of guilt.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

“You almost ready, pumpkin pie?”

“Almost!”

Klaus grabbed the diaper bag where he kept most of his stuff along with a portable fire extinguisher and started walking towards the door. Kenzie rushed to the last corner and gave the bookshelf a quick hug, “Thank you! I love you!”

She sprinted back to her father and uncle, clinging Rot-rot to her chest – the broken eye socket clunked obnoxiously as she ran. Occasionally a weird black eye would poke out and look around, curious as to its surroundings but not wanting to leave the safety of the vessel.

Klaus grabbed her hand and glanced through the shop one more time. “Thank you!” He called out and waved his “GOOD-BYE” palm out towards the darkened little store.

And with one last “Good bye, I love you!” from Kenzie they left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Just for clarification since I don't know how much this will come up in the future - Kenzie can summon small blood fiends to protect her. As she gets older and more powerful they'll be more useful but since this was her first summoning she got baby Rot-rot :)  
> Also Rot-rot is kind of a child friendly version of Retchrot from Dimension 20 :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a nice adult conversation - nothing to worry about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This one's set up a little differently because I felt like my main scene was too slow so I hope that it's not too confusing. Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments I have been smiling for days! I hope that you enjoy! Thanks for reading!

“Listen, Dave- I get it! We have a connection and I don’t want this either but I’ve got this tiny human I’ve got to think about – And I’ve kept her only mildly traumatized so far – no – no- I don’t think you’d hurt her but I just – I’m not on the market – you see? But, hey, hey – we can bone if you want – yeah? Like friends with benefits – Please don’t hate me...”

Klaus mumbled through his one-sided conversation with Dave as he moved quickly up the stairs to the fourth floor. The conversation was quickly devolving so his spirits were crumbling as he made it to the top of the stairs. Nonetheless, shook himself out with a grimace and quickly, before he lost his nerve, rapped against the apartment door.

“Listen, Dave, I don’t know why you’re so angry, we haven’t even started dating – So just chill out, man—” Klaus was still murmuring as the door opened and he snapped his arms to his side.

Dave stood casually in the doorway in jeans and a T shirt, when he saw the Séance a soft smile flickered across his face, “Klaus, hey- Is everything okay?”. He leaned over and scanned over the hallway, “Where’s Kenzie?”

Klaus’ shoulders fell as all the ire that he had so dutifully prepared for this talk melted away. His carefully planned outburst crumbled, and he was left feeling a little stupid standing at Dave’s doorstep. He swallowed and tried to focus but he made the mistake of looking at Dave’s face and his mind went blank, “Uh- Hey…”

Dave frowned and his arm dropped from its resting place on the side of the door, “Is she okay?” He asked, suddenly concerned.

“Oh, yeah – she’s fine. She’s with Diego, so, you know – they’re probably training for their future stab ‘em ‘n Burn ‘em technique Dee’s always dreamed about.”

The other man immediately relaxed but his eyes still skimmed over Klaus’ features closely, “And you?”

“Listen, Dave- I uh…” Klaus faltered. “Can I come inside?”

Dave stepped to the side, “Of course.”

*******************************************************************

Meanwhile…

Kenzie sat happily in her car seat in the back of Diego’s car, she had been in the middle of a long, hard to follow monologue about trees; the trees she liked, the one’s she didn’t like, and the ones that she didn’t really care about. She seemed to be pretty sure that she had seen most of the trees but was pretty imaginative on what the trees she hadn’t seen would be able to do.

Diego listened and nodded along, offering a quick “Oh yeah?” and “really, that’s crazy..” between topics. She truly was Klaus’ daughter just based on the fact that she was barely 4 and Diego already couldn’t get a word in edgewise. He didn’t mind, he was already fuzzy on being an uncle and the last thing he wanted was long awkward silences. This was the first time had ever spent time with her alone (mostly, apparently Ben was still there in the passenger seat) and he was excited to start building some kind of a relationship with the little one.

They pulled into a convenience store to get some gas and Kenzie stopped her discussion on “Frozen” to look around, Diego looked back, “I’m going to get some gas, then we’ll get some lunch – how does that sound?”

“I can’t wait!” She clapped and reached over to pick up the creepiest fucking doll that Diego had ever seen. He had tried to stop it from coming but Klaus had insisted that it stay with Kenzie, saying something about ‘The damn thing gets into the cabinets when it’s alone’ or something like that- Diego wasn’t really paying attention to his brother’s ramblings.

“Almost time for lunch, Rot-rot!” She assured the doll, the mechanism in its head clacked and Diego glanced back – she must have shaken it, right?

After a few minutes he got back in the car, waiting for the gas to pump – his eyes scanned the area and he immediately picked up on the nervous man pacing a few feet from the store. He leaned forward and watched him, he had a poorly hidden gun in his belt and kept glaring inside the store. Diego’s jaw tightened.

“Uncle Ben says he knows what you’re thinking, and he’ll kill you if you do something dumb.” She said innocently from the back.

Diego looked to the empty passenger side. After he got the gas, instead of driving away, he rolled forward into a parking spot off to the side. He snapped off his seat belt and tilted the rearview mirror so that he could see his niece, “Would you like a slushy?”

She nodded, “Yeah! Can I have the red one?”

“Yeah, I’ll get you the red one—” Then he added to the empty air next to him, “Two minutes, tops.”

He left the car running and went inside the store. Kenzie kicked her legs absentmindedly. She looked over the items her momma had sent her with; a few books, a music player, Rot-rot, an Elsa doll and a fire extinguisher. She picked up a book and began to flip through the pages. Several minutes went by until finally the front door was ripped open and someone fell inside.

The man wasn’t her uncle Diego, but he slammed the door shut, put the car in reverse and peeled out of the parking lot. She inspected him then looked over at her Uncle Ben who was currently freaking out in the passenger side seat.

“Hi!” She said loudly, leaning forward.

The strange man jumped, and his head snapped to the backseat in shock, “Fucking shit!” He yelled, just realizing that there was someone else I the vehicle – to be fair, Diego’s car didn’t look like the type to have a car seat in the back. He punched the steering wheel, his head swiveling around in paranoia, looking for an exit.

“I’m Kenzie!” She tried again.

Her Uncle Ben leaned back, “Sweetie, put your headphones on – we’re just going for a quick ride.”

“Okay!” She did as she was told, slipping the device over her head and pressing play. She jammed along contently to a Stevie Nicks album while the man swerved in and out of traffic, cursing and throwing panicked glances to the child in the backseat.

*******************************************************

On the other side of town….

Klaus sighed as the last of the fight dissolved and he nodded, slipping past the other man and into the pristine apartment. Despite everything Klaus chuckled as he looked around, “Nice – which room are the buzz saws, industrial freezer, and tarps stored?”

“Serial killer jokes – Man, you and Nora would get a long beautifully”. He laughed, “Okay, so maybe my place could use some personality.”

“Honestly, if you added anything that wasn’t beige it would transform-“Klaus walked around and picked up the only framed photo in the room, a picture of a younger Dave sitting next to a woman whose resemblance to him was uncanny. She was holding two fingers over his head like bunny ears and they were mid laugh as the picture was taken. 

“Is this Nora?”

Dave had moved to the kitchen and he turned around to see when Klaus was holding, “Yeah – That’s my sister. She’s a couple years older than me.”

The sweet photo left a vague, empty feeling of nostalgia in Klaus’ chest, his mind briefly picturing himself and Allison in the same position. “You two seem close.”

“Yeah, after our parents died, we’ve always been pretty much inseparable. Coffee?” He held up a pot.

Klaus nodded, “Love some – I’m sorry about your parents.”

Dave shrugged, “Thank you. We were actually pretty lucky, my uncle Brian adopted us, so we didn’t end up in foster care or being separated.”

“That’s lucky- as long he was a good person, I mean.”

“Yeah, my uncle Brian is a good man, he has his prejudices, but he did his best.”

Klaus watched him pensively from where he had curled himself up on the white couch. After a moment Dave let out a dry laugh, glancing up shyly, “One time, when I was a teenager, I-uh- put some of Nora’s nail polish on. Let’s just say it did not go over well.” He chuckled, “But, hey, at least I can say for certain that you can’t yell, beat, or work the gay away.”

Despite Dave’s forced nonchalance Klaus felt his chest constrict protectively and his eyes fell to the floor, he wished he could come up with some bold words about injustice and tolerance, but he faltered as always. Dave was standing in front of him a moment later with a kind smile, he handed him a clear mug of coffee and sat down on the other side of the couch.

After a moment of silence of Klaus just holding on to the coffee and breathing it in, he finally just breached the subject. – “Listen, Dave. I’ve got to talk-“The word made him cringe, “To you about something…”

“Is this about maybe just staying friends?”

Klaus’ mouth fell open – he fought the urge to just toss the drink over his shoulder and sat back “Well, fuck me, right!”

Dave shrugged, “My bad. Look, I get it, more than ever, that you’re in a very delicate situation. Also –“ He hesitated as if debating with himself to mention this, “Kenzie, may have said a few things that gave me that impression.”

Klaus’ face fell, “I thought she wouldn’t remember the last time…”

He searched Klaus’ face before finally adding, “She didn’t say anything specific - it was more implied. You know she’s very protective of you.”

“Hmm.” Klaus had his cheek pressed against the palm of his hand, staring into the distance. Wow, so this conversation was not going at all how he had imagined it.

“Klaus, I care about you and that’s not going to change whether or not we’re ‘dating’. And, listen, taking care of Kenzie has been a joy but if you’re not comfortable with that, I can talk to the Chief.”

He shook his head adamantly, “No – I don’t want you to go anywhere” He took a sip of the coffee and closed his eyes. There was so much that he wanted to say and in any normal circumstance he would be able to just word vomit his way through this but something about this man quieted all that.

“The last time I - Was with someone there was a moment where” Klaus’ face twisted as he recalled “Where I thought that a person I brought into my home was going to kick my little girl.” He shuddered and grabbed one of the rough, uncomfortable pillows that came with the couch, “I don’t think you would do that but I’m too fucking scared to trust myself again.”

Dave was watching Klaus intently and his features darkened as he spoke, when he was finished, Dave looked towards the floor, letting the words settle in the room. “I’m sorry that happened. There’s no rush and there’s no guarantee - I’m thankful to be a part of your crazy little haunted mansion and it doesn’t matter what part I am.”

Klaus looked up and smiled, “So what do we do now?”

“You can stay if you want.”

Klaus smirked, “I’d like that.”

*********************************************************

Meanwhile…

“Shit- Shit ss—shit!” Diego had swerved in and out of traffic violently, pushing the little Volkswagen bug that he had stolen to the brink of its capabilities. There had been two more robbers that he hadn’t been expecting to have to deal with and he certainly hadn’t anticipated that punk would abandon the other two and just bolt into the first car he found.

He needed to stay on him but the last thing he wanted to do was make them crash – since this guy was obviously not making the best decisions. Diego’s heart pounded in his chest- the stakes were much higher and more personal than he had dealt with in a long time.

His phone rang from his pocket and he was about to throw it to the side when he caught his brother’s face on the caller I.D – he groaned and answered it, “Hi.” He said a little harsher than he meant to.

“Diego! How’s it going!? I know you’re fine I’m just checking in because you know how soft and worried I’ve become since I became a _mommy_ —” Diego could hear the stupid face he was making from over the phone.

“Good. It’s f-f-fine – she’s fine.”

“Fantastic! Can I talk to her?”

“No! I mean- She’s in the ball pit. We-uh- I took her to one of those, you know- fucking kid’s places with the games and shit.” He clenched his fists around the steering wheel hoping that his brother would fall for it.

“Are you trying to get me killed, Dee?” Klaus laughed, “She’s never been sick but you know she’s going to bring a flesh eating virus back home and it’s going to just nibble away at my toes.”

Diego forced some kind of laugh or chuckle or cry for help.

“Well, you seem like you’ve got everything under control – Just don’t let her get too freaked out, I don’t want some punk kid to start bothering her and she lights ‘em up” He chuckled, “Make sure to keep that extinguisher close.”

Oh fuck- somehow Diego forgot that his niece could literally catch on fire, he felt his blood pressure raise and he had to physically stop himself from making a weird sound.

“Got it. Anything else?”

He could hear his brother talking with someone else on the other end, “Nope- I’ll leave you to it! Give her a big hug for me!”

“Will do. We’ll see you soon.”

Diego hung up the phone and cursed loudly, he kept stayed on their tail even as he took huge risks to try to lose him. He felt awful and his mind kept flashing to poor Kenzie afraid and alone in the backseat – being driven around by this mad man that she didn’t know. He tried not to think about if she panicked and combusted surely making them crash. He hoped that Ben was there and that he could keep her calm.

Inside the fleeing vehicle, the would-be robber was looking behind him as the angry light blue Bug zigzagged through traffic, getting closer every second. He mumbled curses under his breath and made plans to find somewhere to dump the child the second he was free from this vigilante lunatic.

In the backseat, Kenzie hummed along to her track and kicked her legs around while she stared at the action outside. She pointed to a sign with golden arches as they passed, “Are we going to Mcdonalds?” She wondered aloud to herself.

“That’s a big truck.”

“There’s flowers on that car.”

She gasped, “There’s a dog! Hi big dog!”

****************************************************

A little while later…..

“Do you want me to paint your nails?”

They had been talking for a while and the initial awkwardness of the original topic had worn away until they were just lounging and telling each other stories.

Dave tilted his head, “What?”

“I could do your nails – Now that no one’s going to get their panties in a pucker, do you want to try it again?” He fished into his pockets and pulled out two of the tiny vials of polish.

“Do you just keep those on you at all times.”

“Uh Yeah – I’m not an animal, Dave.”

He snorted. After a moment he finally shrugged, “Yeah, I mean, why not?”

Klaus clapped and held out the two vials, “Which do you want? I’ve got black (Like my soul) and I’ve got clear with purple heart glitter (Also, like my soul).”

Dave gestured to the apartment, “What makes you think I’m qualified to be making style choices – You choose.”

Klaus shoved the black polish back into his pocket, “Purple glitter it is! Kenzie picked this one out, so you know it’s the highest of fashion.”

He scooted over between Dave’s legs and the other man held out his hands obediently. Klaus steadied the left one and softly began to pull the brush over the firefighter’s nails. As he worked, his thumb rubbed soft circles into the back of Dave’s hand, and he hummed.

Dave watched him work pensively, and despite Klaus’ recovered heroin addict shaky hands – he was able to do a lovely job. He moved over each nail until they shined with a glossy coating sprinkled with purple hearts and stars.

Klaus set Dave’s hand down and then picked up the next – beginning the process over again. When he looked up, the other man was staring at him, “You know, I wish I could be as brave as you.” He said absently.

Klaus openly laughed, pulling the brush away momentarily so he wouldn’t smear the other man’s skin, “Do you, now? Mr. silver star.”

“Yeah, I do – take it from the guy who went into an active war just to try to fit in. Being so unapologetically yourself is a brave thing.”

A soft whine escaped Klaus’ throat, but he swallowed it quickly, refocusing himself on Dave’s nails, “You’re sweet, Dave. I mean, you’re wildly wrong and yet again I find myself concerned about your questionable choice in people… But thank you.”

“There, all dolled up.” Klaus lifted Dave’s newly painted hands up and began to blow gently on the wet polish.

“Looks beautiful.” Dave said, but he wasn’t really looking at his nails. Klaus caught his eyes and they paused for a moment, “Of course, no homo, though.” He added after a beat.

Klaus burst out laughing, he leaned forward as if to kiss him but then caught himself and instead let his forehead fall against Dave’s collarbone. Dave sighed and curled over into Klaus’ shoulder while keeping his wet nails up in the air safely. They rode out a comfortable wave of laughter until he finally pulled himself away.

“Shit!” Klaus jumped up as he realized that the bottle of nail polish had tipped over and spilled over the pristine white couch.

Dave stood up and got out of the way, “It’s fine – don’t worry about it.”

Klaus pointed a finger, “Don’t touch anything until my beautiful work is dry-“ He got some paper towels and attempted to wipe it away- effectively driving the purple glitter farther into the fabric. He cringed as he stood back and realized that although he was able to wipe away some of the bigger pieces of glitter – a purple smear still remained in the upholstery.

A fight or flight instinct kicked in and he shot a cautious glance at Dave to gage his reaction; Dave was grinning, still waving his hands gently as instructed. When he saw Klaus staring at him, he winked.

Klaus smiled “I feel like this is a metaphor for something.”

****************************************************************

Some time later….

“Kenzie, don’t take your headphones out just yet-“

The child pulled the headphones back up over her head – she was leaning forward trying to see what was going on. The car was stopped now after a really bumpy ending; they were a ridiculously long way out of the city and she was getting pretty hungry, not to mention she kind of had to pee now. The music in her ears drowned out the sounds of fighting just outside the vehicle.

“You son of a bitch!” Diego snapped and with one last punch the man slumped over and stopped struggling.

He took a moment to stand up and roll his shoulders. He dropped the keys to the Volkswagen that he had stolen onto the man’s chest and stepped away from him. He immediately opened the backseat and looked his niece over, “Are you okay?” He sighed.

She nodded, “I’m okay! Did you get the slushies?”

He chuckled, “We’ll get one on the way back, promise.” He glanced at the empty front seat, “Does Uncle Ben have anything to say?”

She tilted her head as if she was hearing someone, “Uncle Ben says you’re a dumbass and that you’re lucky he’s dead already.”

Diego pressed his head against the roof of the car and couldn’t stop himself from laughing, after a moment he dipped back down and started to unbuckle her car seat, “Fair enough. You want to help me change a tire!?”

He really _really_ didn’t want to have to pop the tire of his own car but he was running out of options and in the end, it worked and no one but the bad guy got hurt.

“I don’t know how to change a tire.” Kenzie said matter of factly as she hopped out of the car and stretched.

“It’s an important skill to learn – you’ll get it in no time.” Maybe not the best of circumstances but Diego did feel a swell of pride in his chest as he went through the process of switching out the tire while Kenzie handed him tools and talked. She got so excited as the old slashed tire fell off the axle and Diego picked it up and put it in the trunk. She even ‘helped’ him tighten the lugnuts and despite the disaster of a day Diego was having a bit of fun taking her through the process.

A little while later he was strapping her back into the car seat, “Can we get McDonalds!?” She asked excitedly.

Diego sighed, “Yeah, we can eat that in the car – otherwise we’ll be late.” Fast food wasn’t exactly the good health lesson he wanted to put forth, but he was tired, and they were quickly running out of time.

They got a slushie as promised on top of the happy meal and Kenzie was happily slurping it up as they pulled up next to the apartments. Klaus and Dave arrived just a few moments later and Diego dropped his head against the steering wheel in relief that they had managed to beat them to the house somehow.

He pulled Kenzie out of the car and gave her a quick hug, he pulled a bill out of his pocket and held it up “20 bucks to tell your momma we went to Chuck E. Cheese.”

She snapped it out of his hand, “I can do that!”

“That’s my girl – now go tackle him!” He patted her on the back as she bolted down the sidewalk into Klaus’ arms.

Diego looked over and jumped as he realized a corporeal Ben was standing just a couple feet away from him, “Jesus!”

“What are you going to tell Klaus?” He said calmly with a judgmental brow.

Diego started pulling the toys out of the backseat of his car, “I’m not going to tell him anything – I took her to lunch, we played some games, then I got her a slushie. End of story.”

“She was kidnapped!”

Diego put a finger up to shush his brother, “No- No, my car was stolen, and she happened to be in the backseat for a _brief_ amount of time.”

“He almost made it to the state line!”

“She was briefly involved in a carjacking.”

Bens shook his head and gathered up the fire extinguisher and the car seat, “Unbelievable. You’re getting Rot-rot.” Then he mumbled under his breath, “Dumbass.”

Diego looked at the horrifying doll and stepped back – was it’s head always turned like that?

As Ben passed the group, Dave was holding Kenzie – she was looking at his hands, “Your nails are really pretty!”

“Thank you so much! Your momma said you picked out the color?”

She held one of his fingers up and inspected it, “Uh-huh! I like the hearts and the stars!”

“Me too, I think it was a great choice.”

Klaus was staring at them fondly and finally just opened his arms and wrapped both Dave and Kenzie into a hug – he pressed a kiss into her cheek, “Muah! I missed you today!”

"What did you do today, Kenzie?" 

"I went to Chuck E Cheese and I got money!" She waved the 20 dollar bill in the air happily. 

Dave laughed, "20 dollars! What are you going to do with all that money!?"

Klaus was still holding them all together, keeping his head against his daughter, "We'll have to go shopping - maybe Dave will take us, huh?"

Kenzie looked at Dave and he nodded, "Yeah, I think I can do that."

Ben stared at the interaction then went up the stairs with Kenzie’s stuff. Diego brought Rot-rot up to the apartment between a wrench and a hammer and he dropped the blood fiend possessed doll onto the floor before he left. After a few minutes Klaus joined him in the apartment and Kenzie bolted past them into her room, only coming back to pick up the doll and bring him along. 

Ben stared at his brother who seemed to be in a severely good mood which, honestly, he wasn't expecting after today, “So I’m guessing the ‘talk’ didn’t work?”

“What do you mean? It went fantastically!”

“Then what was that down there? You looked like the poster for a gay nuclear family.”

Klaus turned to him, “That- My dear brother – was just dudes bein’ bros.” He started walking away, repeating softly, “Just dudes bein’ bros.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A momma Vs. the bad dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I've been really busy this weekend so this is just sort of a quick interlude because I didn't want to skip an upload night - thank you guys so much for all your kind words! I appreciate it so much! I hope that you enjoy this one! Thank you for reading!

_”Baby’s up - go do your thing, dad.” Ben stood over his brother and tapped him in the side with his foot._

_Klaus was curled up in a little makeshift nest that he had created with an old towel and a blanket that another homeless person had given them. Kenzie, now barely a month old, was in her own basket bed just a few feet away. They were truly in what Ben would call dire straits, barely surviving one day at a time, however, the important thing was that Kenzie was healthy and happy despite the living conditions._

_Klaus threw an arm over his face and groaned, he rolled over away from his brother, wrapping his arms around himself with a gruff whine. Klaus’ body was still severely bruised and battered from the attack on Halloween and his skin was littered with nasty, yellow and black marks. He looked like a skeleton and It seemed like his very bones were trembling out of his skin, one month sober and he was not looking great._

_“Stop fucking calling me that.” He growled._

_Ben moved to his other side, “Okay, fine, what do you want to be called?”_

_“She can call me Timothy Morgan the Tap dancing monkey for all I fucking care just not **that**.” He rolled away again, this time covering his ears as the baby’s cries became louder._

_“Fair enough. Get your ass in gear, mom - your baby’s crying.”_

_Klaus rolled over to his hands and knees and glared up at his brother with green daggers, “Have I told you how much I hate everything about you today?” He gagged, ruining the effect and nearly crumbled to the ground, gripping on to his head protectively._

_“Three times.”_

_“Just checking.”_

_He crawled over the tiled floor of the abandoned bathroom they were currently hiding in, to the baby and looked inside her little basket, she was wriggling and wailing angrily - “You could have spun the roulette wheel of parents but instead Uncle Ben’s got you out here with a crackhead - what does that say about him?” He croaked out._

_A brief smirk flashed across Ben’s face, “She wants her momma, Klaus - you’ve got this.”_

_Klaus glowered at his brother then spoke directly to the infant, “Uncle Ben can go to hell, can’t he?” He cooed._

_“Momma already did.”_

****************************************************************************************************************

“Momma!”

Klaus had rolled off his bed and was on his feet before he knew what was happening - he glanced briefly at the clock which showed 1:06 A.M. He wasn’t working nights nearly as many times a week and he was still kind of getting used to the quiet. 

“Pumpkin?” He turned on the light. 

Kenzie was sitting up in bed actively crying while clinging onto Rot-rot, the blood fiend inside the doll clattered in worry and agitation that its kid was upset. Her red face was screwed up in fear and her hair was wild around her head. 

“Kenzie, what’s wrong?”

“ Ng’ had a bad dream!” She hiccupped and reached out with both hands. 

He pulled her out of bed and she clung onto his neck- still riding out waves of tears. 

“And she didn’t even light anything on fire.” Ben said proudly from the side. 

Klaus glanced around and sure enough, even the fire resistant blankets she was sleeping on seemed completely un-singed which was a miracle since the last time she had a nightmare she obliterated some stuffed toys and left a scorch mark on her wall. And that was with the fire resistant blankets surrounding her while she slept. 

“That’s incredible! Look at you go!” He leaned back to look at her face, wiping away at the tears with his thumb. He pulled his fingers through her thick locks, brushing through the tangles and clearing it away from her nearly inch long horns. 

He shifted her on his hip, “Do you want to tell me about it?” 

She sniffed, rolling her head against his collarbone, “There was a- there was a mean man an’ I was running in a big house. It was dark and he was mad at me.” She whined and pressed closer against his robe “I couldn’t find you. Or uncle Ben. An’ he caught me an’ he was mad and then I woke up.”

“That sounds so scary! But it was just a dream, see? Me and uncle Ben are right here -” He nuzzled her sweetly, “And we’re not going anywhere - no mean man is going to get you.”

He didn’t tell her that the dream scared him too and he tried to hide the overwhelming guilt every time she had a nightmare. He knew what it was like to suffer from them, he knew what it was like to be afraid of going back to sleep. It made it feel like you had a monster in your own head waiting to pounce whenever you let your guard down. Did he give her that trait? Would she be just as susceptible to his fears and vices?

Kenzie pouted and just held on tighter, her eyes were wide as she remembered the nightmare. Klaus paced through the room, rocking her gently. There was no way she was going back to sleep immediately with how upset she was at the moment. “Hayworth and Perry gave us some of their magic tea that makes the nightmares go away, do you want to have some of that?”

She nodded. 

“Okay, we’ll try that.”

Klaus brought a small blanket and took her into the kitchen where he set her down with some difficulty on a chair. He had said in the past to Ben with a fond smile ‘It’s like trying to rip a spider monkey off of me’.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she protested, “I’m not going anywhere, little bit.”

He boiled the water and steeped the magic tea (It was a valerian root blend that Hayworth and Perry sell at their shop). He put the cup in front of the toddler and stirred it - 4 times to the right then 3 times to the left and recited a quick phrase that the witches printed on the box for sleep and peace. DId he believe that worked? No? But, hey, he didn’t know much and the “spell” always seemed to calm Kenzie down. 

Klaus moved to the living room and turned on the TV, he turned it to a children’s program. Kenzie settled on his lap a few minutes later and he gave her the tea, she held the cup close between her palms and inhaled the calming steam. It was boiling hot but Kenzie sipped it down like it was ice water - the heat having no effect on her at all. 

Klaus watched her as she zoned out, drinking her tea and watching the cartoons gently lighting up their little living room. He wondered how the hell he had ever been lucky enough to know her, how the hell did a selfish, terrified drug addict end up with someone he loved so much. And when did it become so easy to be around her - was that person inside of him the whole time or did she create him?

He knew it wasn’t always like this - he remembered better than anybody how bitter he had been after she was ‘born’ and how unfair he felt the whole situation had been. So many nights wishing that he had just left her at the police station, thinking that no one could possibly be worse for her than him. Then at some point those wishes stopped and he couldn’t imagine living a life without his daughter. 

He still craved the drugs; the alcohol and he still felt the crushing weight of his own fears - crumbling his walls until he felt like they would completely consume him but there was nothing scarier than losing Kenzie. Finally he had something more world ending and terrifying than the corpses, the memories, the pain combined. He still felt like a failure - that never went away but at least he had a reason to try. 

Klaus looked down and saw that the toddler’s eyes were beginning to flutter as she watched the TV. She was nearly finished with the magic tea and it had cooled down so he reached over and plucked it out of her hands before she could drop it. He set it to the side and clicked the TV off - she made a quick noise of protest but didn’t fight him anymore. 

“Big bird’ll be there in the morning, pumpkin - I promise.”

Rather than jostling the child he let himself float upwards and curled his legs underneath him - they drifted back to her room. Klaus let himself fall until he was laying against the air with Kenzie curled up against his chest like a human hammock. He wished that he had this little trick when she was a little baby because maybe it was the gentle motion or maybe the feeling of weightlessness but this seemed to Kenzie’s happy place. It was Klaus’ too. 

They swayed safely just a few feet above the ground and as Kenzie’s eyes began to droop Klaus started singing the only lullaby that he really knew - once so embarrassed that he really didn’t know any songs to sing to a baby, he had just started writing the lyrics down of songs that Kenzie seemed to like when watching movies together, 

__

“Come stop your crying  
It will be alright  
Just take my hand  
And hold it tight  
I will protect you  
From all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry  
For one so small  
You seem so strong  
My arms will hold you  
Keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry  
'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more”

As he crooned the last word he glanced down to see that Kenzie was now peacefully sleeping, her face twitched softly as his voice faded but she did not wake up. He didn’t move for several moments, instead, just enjoying the comfortable and overwhelming peace he was feeling with Kenzie safe in his arms as they floated gently in the air. 

Who would have thought a waste of space like Klaus Hargreeves would be lucky enough to be living in this moment? He thought absently as he rolled forward, keeping her tight to his chest as not to jostle her until he was standing just a couple of inches off the floor. 

He reluctantly leaned down and settled her back into bed - tucking the horrifying abomination of nature under her arm and pulling her fire resistant blanket over her sleeping form. He watched her for a brief time before levitating away, careful not to make any stepping sounds. 

He moved to her closet and pulled it open - the cause of the angry mumbling he had been hearing throughout their time (and maybe the reason for her nightmare if it had been wandering around along the edges of her room) was standing defiantly amongst her clothes. 

The ghost had long, thinning hair that was plastered against it’s sunken, skeletal face. It’s eyes were warped- angry and crazed but too afraid to get any closer to the demon child sleeping on the other side of the room. However, when it saw Klaus it reached out - immediately desperate for his lifeforce. 

Klaus didn’t move. 

“Leave” He commanded and the ghost fell backwards into the closet wall - it disintegrated into a harmless blue mist and the soft angry mumbling ceased immediately. 

Klaus closed the doors and clicked off the overhead light, leaving the fairy lights on against the ceiling basking the room in a soft, comfortable glow. 

He kissed his “HELLO” palm and blew it out towards the sleeping little one, 

“Momma loves you, Kenzie.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a birthday phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! Thank you guys so much for being so patient! I'm still not sure if I like this one but I definitely like it more than I did! I will try to keep up the same every other day schedule and I will let you know if I miss an upload night! You guys are just the sweetest and I appreciate everything so much!! I hope that you enjoy! Thank you for reading!

It took Klaus a while to sneak away from the rest of the ‘family’ and even when he managed to get to his bedroom without Kenzie following him, a sharp glance from Ben just twisted the knot in his stomach more painfully. Their apartment was full tonight, it was October 1st and Vanya brought Sophie over for movies, Dave and Liev also joined them so between the 5 people someone should be able to keep Kenzie busy for a little while. 

He had been dreading this - A strange feeling of obligation pushed him forward and he punched in the number on his phone. He sat back on the bed and curled his knees into his chest - she wouldn’t pick up. Why would she? So why was he even worried?

He waited, listening to the rings repeating loudly in his ear. After the 5th ring he gave up and sighed. Partially out of relief and also a deep guilt and sadness that had been nagging him more and more lately. 

So when the phone clicked and a hesitant “Hello?” Came through, Klaus inhaled sharply, and he leaned forward, unable to believe his the voice he was hearing. 

“Allison?” He breathed out. In a voice much softer than he had intended. 

There was a pause and Klaus wondered if she had heard him. 

“This is her - Who am I speaking to?”

Klaus sat back and took a deep breath - his heart was pounding hard in his chest, “Allison? It’s Klaus.”

He could almost hear her sigh of annoyance, “I’m assuming that since you went through all the trouble to get this number, you’re desperate - what’s going on?”

“Nothing - Nothings going on, I just haven’t talked to you in years. I wanted to say ‘happy birthday.”

He tried to imagine what she was doing - what she was doing with her evening. He could hear the sounds of birds, so he imagined that she was sitting out on a balcony, maybe having just pulled away from a party. He had seen pictures of her beautiful Hollywood mansion in the magazines and noticed the many balconies that she owned – facing out over a bright cityscape.

“Okay… Happy birthday.”

She had no reason to stay on the phone with her addict brother who had dropped off the map after their last fight and only called when he needed money. He decided to cut straight to the chase because he didn’t want her to go away yet. 

“I’m a shitty trash person and you should have rumored me to go fuck myself.” He said quickly- the words falling out before he could stop them. 

It worked because for a second, Klaus thought he could hear a briefly confused laugh, “What?”

“The last time we talked - I was a piece of shit and I’m sorry… I get that I might not be able talk to you again for 7 more years, so I just wanted to get that out.”

He heard a door open from the other side and a quick increase in social volume which disappeared again as Allison muttered something, probably shooing away whoever interrupted her phone call. 

“Where is this coming from? Are you okay?”

Despite the sudden intense concern in her voice he laughed, “This isn’t a ‘I have a brain tumor’ call - It’s just a brother apologizing for being a little shit. Don’t be so surprised! I’ve apologized before… I think?” he smiled, and he hoped that she was smiling on the other side. 

If she was smiling, it must have faded because there wasn’t much humor in her voice when she spoke again, “Okay… Do you-- Do you need money or?”

Klaus dropped the phone to his thigh, suddenly a little annoyed - although she had every reason to think that this was his real reason for calling. Rather than answer, he ignored her question and just continued on with the conversation, “How is Claire doing? I’ve seen pictures of her in the magazines with you- She’s turning two soon, right?”

Klaus heard shuffling and he imagined her finally settling down on what was probably a very expensive table and chair set. 

It took Allison a while to answer, “Yeah - She’s two in December. She’s- uh - she’s perfect in every way.”

Klaus smiled and leaned into the receiver, “I’ll bet she is - I saw when she was born in “People” and I just - “ He pressed his hand against his chest like she would be able to hear the gesture, “She’s adorable - I knew that you’d be a great mother.”

Klaus had saved the magazine and hidden it in one of his drawers - the same place he stashed Diego’s fighting flyers, Vanya’s concert reviews, News clippings from Luther’s missions and anything having to do with the fire station. It gave him a sense of family even though they were all still very cracked and far away from each other.

“Well, she makes it easy - It’s nice… Making new family memories - separating from the old ones that aren’t so great.”

Klaus felt that in his soul, “I couldn’t agree more - I - What kind of memories are you making today? Are they better than the customary - “ He altered into his over the top impression of their father “It has been one year since your last birthday - here is how you all could improve you dumb little shits.”

Allison actually laughed at this - she always did when they were kids as well, “Well, I woke up to a fantastic breakfast in bed courtesy of my daughter (with a little help from Patrick) and we’ve been shopping and now I’m at a birthday party so - Yeah, pretty nice. What about you? What kind of new memories are you making these days?”

Klaus thought briefly through his day;

_It was around 4 in the morning when he made it to his particular corner in the city after working all night. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them for warmth, his knees shaking slightly in his skintight pants. When a small red truck slowed down and pulled to the curb, he couldn’t hide the grin that crept across his face. The passenger side window rolled down and Klaus approached - leaning against the vehicle and glancing inside._

_Dave held up a large Tupperware box of pastries from the seat, “What’ll you give me for these?” He asked with a smirk._

_“Anything you damn well want.”_

_Klaus opened the door and hopped inside. The warmed seat, the toasty air and the familiar scent of Dave’s aftershave made him melt; he rolled his head back against the seat and sighed. The other man watched him as he soaked up the heat and waited for the shivering to pass._

_Dave set the box of baked goods into his lap, “I’ll keep that in mind - Happy birthday by the way.”_

_Klaus groaned, “Who spilled the beans?”_

_“The comic book shop down the street.”_

_“Price of fame I suppose...”_

_Dave shifted into drive and they began to roll forward, “Try a scone - you’ll feel better, I promise.”_

_Klaus raised an eyebrow but opened the pastry box and pulled out a cranberry scone, he inspected it critically then took a bite. Dave watched him from the corner of his eye as he chewed then moaned pornographically, “Oh my god…”_

_“What did I tell you?”_

_He leaned over and pressed a firm (strictly platonic) kiss against the driver’s head, “Dave- I know I’ve asked everyone in the department, but will you marry me?” He fluttered his eyelashes and bit again into the heavenly pastry._

_“You only want me for my baking skills.”_

_“That’s not true! You also make a **mean** matzoh ball soup.” He chef kissed the air. _

_“I won’t be your pastry whore, Klaus.”_

_Klaus threw a faux tantrum and stomped his feet, “Why not!? I’d treat you so good - be your sugar daddy. Literally.” He snorted._

_He fell against Dave’s shoulder and giggled, holding tightly to the box of baked goods. Dave laughed and rested his chin on Klaus’ curls, shaking his head as he did so._

_“How was your night?” Dave asked as Klaus rolled back into his seat. It killed Klaus how genuine he was when he asked it._

_He told him - he left out some of the details but as always Dave just rolled with stories and asked questions. Klaus could have talked to him forever but at some point after Dave turned on some classic rock station, he drifted away - feeling warm and safe next to the firefighter._

_He woke up with a soft hand on his shoulder and Dave’s barely audible voice saying, “We’re home.”_

“My birthday started with the most--” He chef kissed the air, “Delectable scone courtesy of this sexy, sexy firefighter.”

His heartbeat loudly in his chest, “Let’s see… What happened next..?”

_“Momma…?” Kenzie whispered loudly as she cracked his bedroom door open, she looked inside, and Klaus opened one eye and smiled. He was curled up under about three blankets (It always took him a long time to get warm after working outside) and had been contemplating just getting up anyway because he couldn’t get his brain to shut the fuck up._

_Upon seeing that he was awake, she threw the door open and ran forward. He opened his arms just as she jumped underneath the blanket and wrapped her in a hug. She snuggled into his chest. He could have kept her there forever because she was the warmest (literally) person in the world and it took a lot to warm his bones. She stayed there for a while but just as Klaus thought she fell back to sleep she pulled away and sat up, taking half of the covers with her._

_“Happy birthday!” She shoved a piece of paper at him, smiling proudly._

_He settled on his elbow to inspect the halved piece of white construction paper. In blue crayon there was a crude representation of Ben, next to him was a taller figure with his hands out (HELLO and GOODBYE) and a pointy pink party hat on his perfectly round head, between them was a shorter person with horns. They were standing in front of a lopsided red building surrounded by stick figures with rounded yellow hats. At the bottom was a scrawled “Hapy Berthday!”_

_He held it to his chest, “You know art is the way to my heart! It’s beautiful, pumpkin!” He reached out and pushed her hair out of her face, “Best birthday ever!”_

“Then I woke up to the best, warmest hug from my daughter - and it was perfect.”

He felt like she had been nodding along but then she went still again, “What?”

It was Klaus’ turn to go silent for several moments, “My Kenzie.” He admitted flatly. 

He heard Allison shift in her seat and when she spoke her voice had the original venom in it, “Klaus - You didn’t.” She begged. 

“Oh, don’t be like that- Just because I was finally first in something- miss ‘movie star’, well guess what? I beat you in having babies.” He said it with a forced humor that was lost in his nervous shaking voice. 

“Don’t. Klaus, this isn’t right.” 

In some weird way it warmed his heart that she knew that Kenzie existed for a whole two seconds and she was already protective of her. 

“I’m sober.” He said quickly before she could completely freak out. He swallowed, “I’ve been sober since she was born. Promise. She’s not being raised in a drug den - Ben wouldn’t have it.”

Allison scoffed. When Klaus didn’t answer she spoke again, “Wait, you’re serious.”

“Yes! Listen - I’m sober and I grew this little spud and now she’s got opinions and a personality and shit -” He laughed, “It’s incredible!”

“Holy shit- “

He shifted forward in the bed and grabbed a pillow, “I wanted to tell you! Oh - but you know how it is - the years just slipped away and you had no reason to take my call so I just kept pictures from the magazines and told Kenzie stories about you because I always wanted you to be a part of all this.” He exhaled, suddenly unsure of where that all came from. 

Klaus thought she was going to hang up the phone but instead she let out an impressed huff, “How old is she?”

“She’s turning 5 on the 31st .”

Allison laughed, and Klaus’ face twisted in confusion, his nerves shot from this conversation “Of course you’d have the Halloween baby.”

He grinned, “Little too ‘on the nose’?”

“Just-- perfect.”

He heard a door opening from somewhere in the background and a voice that he didn’t recognize. His breath hitched as he realized that someone was asking for her just as they started becoming more comfortable, “You have to leave?”

There was a long pause on the other end, “No- I don’t have to go – Patrick was just dropping off Claire.”

Klaus sat up in bed – his eyes scanning the area and when he spoke his voice was more frantic than he had intended, “Can you tell her that I love her? And that I’m sorry I haven’t met her yet?” He waited with bated breath.

“I mean- you can tell her yourself. She’s not talking much sense yet but maybe you two just have that in common.” Allison laughed.

Klaus covered his mouth in excitement as he heard the phone being put down and a distant ‘come here, Claire – someone wants to talk to you. Yeah – on the phone – come here sweetheart.’. There was a loud shuffling sound as Allison pulled the toddler onto her lap.

Klaus pressed the phone against his ear then immediately had to pull it away as an ear-piercing “HELLO!” Came through suddenly.

He heard Allison in the background, “Sweetie, you don’t have to talk so loud.”

There was a little back and forth then she said- still remarkably close to the phone “Hello!” A little softer but just as enthusiastic.

“Claire!?”

“Uh-huh.”

Why was he getting so emotional about this conversation? What had Satan done to him? Is what he thought as he had to pause and swallow, so his voice didn’t break as he spoke, “Hi, Claire! It’s your favorite uncle Klaus! We haven’t met yet, but I can’t wait to see you someday! How are you?”

He went quiet as she listed off and yelled a mostly incoherent string of sentences where within he could only pick up a few words like “Cake” and “Momma” and a particularly loud and distracted “WHAT IS THAT!?” followed by Allison’s deeply amused “That’s a squirrel, love.” Klaus listened and hummed along with her babbles for a while until they soon became more and more random as she got bored talking with the little rectangle.

“I think you’ve managed to out-talk your uncle Klaus – that’s impressive.” He heard Allison from the other side.

“Claire? I love you! I’ll see you someday soon, okay? You keep your mom on her toes for me in the meantime. Bye-Bye!”

“Bye- bye!” She repeated and Klaus did a little wave even though she couldn’t see him.

There was another shuffling on the other side and after a moment he heard Allison sigh and come back to the phone, “She’s uh- on her way to bigger and better things, I’m afraid.” Klaus imagined that she was smiling and watching as Claire went back inside with all the people, pretty lights, and music.

“Thank you, Allison.”

“Yeah, of course. I don’t hate you- It’s just…” She stopped and Klaus cycled through the all the things that she might say; such as – “You’re a cunt.” Or “You’re selfish” or “drugs are a nightmare.” But what she said was “It’s good be actually talking to you – and not the drugs.”

“Is Kenzie with you? Do you have partial custody of her or?”

“Oh, no – I’ve got full custody. Her- the other parent works in big time management, so they don’t have much time for her. She’s in the other room—” He stood up and opened his bedroom door following the sounds of frantic thumping and shrieking. In the living room Kenzie was chasing Dave around in a circle holding Rot-rot in front of her as she ran after a seemingly terrified full-grown man.

“Torturing someone.”

He leaned against the doorway and watched the scene play out; Liev and Ben were sitting at the kitchen table with a chess board between them. Liev moved a piece and then clapped their hands, “Check mate!” They announced and Ben threw his hands up.

“Again!?”

Vanya and Sophie were sitting comfortably on the couch and watching the show – the show being Dave’s torment at the hands of a four-year-old wielding a blood fiend possessed doll. She shrieked in giggles as he bolted away, begging for mercy then taking a coordinated tumble to the floor.

“Just having a relaxing evening, you know.” He said, unable to hide a grin as he watched the chaos ensue in his apartment.

“Could I- could I talk to her?” Allison had the audacity to sound shy for a moment – as if she hadn’t just allowed the man who had actively stolen from her for drugs to speak with his niece.

“Hm – let me see if she’s free.”

Dave was on his stomach with his head covered laughing and Kenzie snuck up on him to pounce, “Kenzie!” Klaus called in a 40’s housewife voice. She stopped her attack and looked up at her father, “There’s someone that wants to talk to you, spare a moment?”

“Okay!” She shoved Rot-rot next to Dave’s face and he legitimately jumped and rolled away as it made a brief growling sound. He rolled over onto his elbows with a grin. Klaus flashed him a quick wink before taking Kenzie into the bedroom.

He sat her down, “Kenzie, someone very special wants to talk to you – someone famous!”

She gasped and grabbed the phone out of his hand, “Hello!?”

Klaus got up on the bed and watched her as he mouth dropped open, “Aunt Allison!?” He rolled back and giggled at her excitement.

“I’ve seen you in the movies…”

“I liked it when you were the princess – that’s my favorite. Momma got me the DVD and I can watch it before bed.”

“I wish that I could meet you for real, too!”

Klaus waited patiently as they chatted, unfortunately unable to hear Allison on the other side but he could guess just based on Kenzie’s reactions what they were talking about. Eventually Kenzie nodded and said solemnly, “Okay.”

“I love you too – “then “Thank you” then “Bye-bye”

She handed the phone to him, and he pulled it to his ear “You have to go, I assume?”

“Yeah.” Allison laughed, “I can’t believe that I’m an aunt…” She said sounding slightly amazed.

“Yeah, no shit – imagine how I felt when she showed up and started demanding food.” He winked and Kenzie scooted under his arm, listening to the call as best as she could.

“I’m glad that you called, Klaus and I’m sorry that I didn’t pick up sooner.”

Klaus rolled his head over Kenzie’s, staring off into the wall “We both know that’s my fault.”

The external sounds from the phone were getting louder and he could tell that she was being pulled back into the party.

“Send me pictures, okay? I want to see what she looks like.”

“Just imagine 5-year-old me in a wig and you’ll be pretty close.” Then he added in a more serious tone, “But I will. Talk soon?”

“Talk soon.”

The phone went dead, and he let it fall to his lap. Kenzie was watching him intently as he recovered from the shock that Allison actually picked up and for the first time in so many years, he was able to have a conversation with her that didn’t end in someone calling somebody else a bitch.

He was caught up in the strange mixture of elation and the disappointment in the fact that they couldn’t talk longer. He wanted to tell her everything – he wanted to hear everything about her glamorous Hollywood life. He wanted to talk for hours just like they used to when they were kids and she was the only person who seemed to understand him. But maybe now there was a hope of that happening again.

Kenzie was staring at him from under his arm, “Did you have a good birthday?”

Klaus squished her to the side, “You keep asking that and I’ve told you a million times – every birthday with you has been the best birthday ever.” He paused, “Except maybe the first one- that one was rough, not gonna lie, but it every birthday since then? Exquisite.”

She hopped off the bed and grabbed his hand, “Are you coming back to the living room?”

He let her drag him up to his feet, “I’m coming- sorry for interrupting your very involved master plan of terror.” 

As she led him back into the rest of the house he liked to imagine that Allison was doing the same- walking back to spend time with the people that she loved the most. Despite the fact that she was a famous movie star and he was just a recovered addict - the thought made it feel like they had something in common. 

Because even though they were living opposite lives on opposite sides of the country - they were still brother and sister.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Demon/alien/human kids get a cold? Asking for a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! I'm back on schedule this chapter! Thank you so much for all your lovely comments!! I hope that you enjoy this chapter and as always, if you ever have a prompt for me always feel free to send it my way! Thanks so much for reading!!

“Okay, I’m just going to say it - where’s Kenzie? It’s way too friggin quiet in this house right now.”

It was late morning and Klaus was slouched dramatically on the couch vaguely watching the television, as the minutes passed by he would continually sigh and glance over at his brother who was just trying to read his book. 

Ben raised an eyebrow but didn’t look up from his novel, “Are you kidding me? The way she fought going to sleep last night - we’ll be lucky if she’s up by 9.”

Klaus pouted, “Yeah - no more pancakes for dinner - after 6 PM she turns into Sonic the Hedgehog.” He waited a couple more minutes before tossing the remote to the side with a puff of air, “I’m going to go check on her.”

“Just let her sleep - it’s Saturday and she’s going to be cranky if you wake her up.” Ben didn’t really try to fight this - he just wanted to get his two cents in before there was inevitably a crabby five-year-old loose in the house. 

As expected, Klaus ignored his brother and peaked inside Kenzie’s cracked door - her room was calm - a soft breeze from the fan gently billowed the curtains causing streaks of sunlight to come through which usually woke the child up. The only sound was her radio playing lullaby tunes in the background. Kenzie’s back was facing him covered in blankets. 

He tiptoed over to her bed and leaned over, observing her quietly - much to his surprise the child rolled over and stared up at him. Her eyes were glossy and, in a very un-Kenzie like fashion, she didn’t say anything. Kenzie was usually the first person up in the house and she always came out of sleep with a bang.

Klaus’ eyebrows furrowed and he reached out to touch her face, “Pumpkin, are you okay?”

She responded with a sudden sneeze and a messy wipe of her face, “My head hurts…” She said completely devoid of any energy. 

“Oh my god - are you sick?” Klaus sat on the edge of the bed and pressed his palm against her forehead - it was cool. He glanced around, “Shit- this has never happened before…” 

As he jumped up to leave the room she reached out, “Momma - I don’t feel good..” She mumbled. 

He stepped back and squeezed her little hand “I’ll be right back - I promise.” He left her on the bed and moved quickly into the hallway. 

“Ben- get up - something’s wrong.” He snapped as he came out of the bathroom holding a thermometer in one hand and clicking it on. 

“What do you mean ‘somethings wrong’? But ben was already standing up and starting to follow Klaus into the hallway. 

“I mean - the snuggle bean is Enfermas - krank -malade - I think she’s sick!” Klaus’ jaw was clenched as he went sat back down next to the five-year-old. He tapped her arm, “lift your arm for me, kiddo.” She obeyed as he slipped the thermometer in her arm pit and moved her to hold it in place.

“Kenzie, what’s wrong? Can you tell us what’s not feeling good?” Ben was leaning over his brother inspecting his niece carefully.

She pouted and tried to roll over – only being stopped by Klaus’ hand on her shoulder. The child whined irritably, “My head hurts!” She repeated, “N’ my throat hurts.”

The thermometer beeped and Klaus pulled it out to read the small data window, after a moment he looked up at his brother and whispered with a horrified expression, “100.1”

Ben lifted his hand, ever the voice of reason “She’s got a runny nose – this is a cold, Klaus. Kids get colds – it’s fine.”

Klaus stood up and tugged his brother away to the corner, the second his hand was not on her, Kenzie rolled back over and pulled the blankets tighter around her body. “Not this kid! She’s never been sick before!”

“That doesn’t mean it’s not possible.”  
“She’s never run lower than 102, Ben – her temp is _dropping_!” Klaus was shaking the thermometer in Ben’s face as an example. Then he added in a softer, more desperate tone “Benny- she’s not reacting to us- something’s wrong!”

Ben put his hands up and lowered his voice, “Listen – here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to set her up in the living room with the TV, track her temperature, and keep her hydrated – just like we would a- a- an ordinary kid.”

“And what if she gets worse?”

“It’s. A. Cold. Klaus. It’s just going to run its course – if we’re worried then we’ll call Sophie and get her to the hospital.”

He laughed, “And tell them what? That we _want_ them to give her a fever?”

Ben put a hand on his brother’s chest – “I’m going to set up the couch, you get her and bring her into the living room.”

Klaus rolled his eyes but went back to the bed, nonetheless, “Kenzie? Pumpkin – Let’s go watch some TV, okay? You can go back to sleep in there…” She looked up at him and he settled back on the edge of the bed. He pushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her horn, “You’ve never been sick – I bet this is really messed up for you, huh?” He mused softly.

“C’mere” He lifted her up and despite his initial panic when she seemed to go limp, after a moment she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung on to him. He pulled the blanket up around her and bounced her lightly as they walked into the other room. 

Ben had the couch set up in a cozy nest of pillows and blankets, he was currently putting in Kenzie’s favorite Allison movie. Klaus set the child into the middle of the nest and began to wrap her back up in as many layers of blankets as he could without smothering her. She padded around with her hand after she was settled, searching for something.

Klaus put a finger up, “Your abomination of nature – got it – be right back.” He left and went back into her bedroom, making a beeline for the doll.  
But when he picked it up, he noticed immediately the absence of oozing red, demonic energy from the eye sockets and hair. Without the possessing blood fiend it was just a slightly off-putting antique and even more concerning was the fact that the creature rarely left it’s vessel except sometimes at night – usually to break into the cheerio box and cause a mess.

“Shit…” He dropped it to the bed and contemplated the room. After pulling up the sheets and disrupting the stuffed animals he finally lifted up Kenzie’s pillow. The blood fiend was curled up underneath it and when its spot was discovered it started freaking out like a startled squirrel. Klaus lunged and grabbed the grotesque little thing and it immediately started squirming, its weird black eyes bulging hysterically

“ROT-ROT! ROT-ROT! ROT-ROT!” It squealed in a hoarse rattle.

“Christ on a – Just calm down you little shit!” Klaus wrestled it with both hands, “What’s the hell’s the matter with you…” He attempted to shove it back into it’s vessel but the blood fiend resisted with surprisingly strong tiny hands that clung on with all the passion of a kitten getting it’s first bath. It even started biting him – although with little effect since it had no noticeable teeth so it was mostly just a gummy, drooling gnawing pressure.

“What the hell is going on?” Ben leaned into the room with an eyebrow raised.

Klaus continued to struggle with the grapefruit sized blood fiend, “Rot-rot’s lost his shit- that’s what’s going on!” He grunted, “He won’t go into the damn doll!”

Ben sighed, “It’s probably because his kid’s sick – just give it to her, it’ll calm down eventually.”

Klaus groaned but complied, holding the demon chewing angrily and uselessly on his arm out in front of him. He dropped it vessel-less onto the couch and it scrambled up to curl it’s rounded body up as best as it could into Kenzie’s arms.

She sniffled but held on, her eyes glassy and watching the screen. Klaus watched her then looked up to his brother, “I don’t like this…”

“No one likes being sick, Klaus- we’ll just take it easy for the day. Right Kenzie? We’ll have a movie day and we’ll make something special for lunch.” Kenzie nodded briefly but didn’t respond otherwise and Ben cringed slightly, “I’m going to make some hot tea for her.”

Klaus sat down on the seat next to her head and softly stroked her hair back, he couldn’t focus on the TV and his eyes kept scanning over her form. Throughout the movie she switched from falling asleep to being awake enough to lean her against Klaus and let her sip on the hot tea.

As the credits to the movie began to roll Klaus took her temperature again, it beeped and he read the screen, “Fuck!” He snapped under his breath and met Ben’s eyes, “99 degrees.”

Ben cursed as well and sit up in the chair.

Klaus stood up, careful not to bounce the cushion too much, “I’m going to call Dave.” He said as he went to his phone and began to turn it on.

“Why? What’s Dave going to do?” Ben asked incredulously.

“I don’t know! He helped me when I was sick…”

***********************************************************

On the other side of town….

Dave was sitting on the floor against his bed when his phone started ringing, he was relieved to have something else to think about. It had been a bad night and it was now late in the morning and he was just now barely getting around. It was his day off and he really didn’t have any reason to get out of bed and when he had tried, he ended up here – lost in the nightmares that had jolted him awake throughout the night.

He reached for the phone and upon seeing Klaus’ goofy smile on the caller ID he sighed, “Oh thank god…”

He flicked away the face, “Hey, what’s up?” He hoped that his voice didn’t sound ripped to pieces.

“Hey, Dave…” Klaus breathed from the other side.

“What’s going on?” Dave tried to sound as casual as he could.

“Kenzie’s sick.” He blurted out, “Kenzie’s sick and I don’t know why I’m calling you, but I guess I thought – I don’t know what to do, she’s never been sick before and I’m freaking out.”

Dave sat up, “Shit… Hey, I can head over there if you want me to..”

He heard Klaus swallow, “Uh – yeah, that’d be great.”

“Okay- I’m on my way right now.”

“Thank you, Dave…”

“No problem. See you in a bit.”

He tossed the phone to the side and crawled his way back onto the bed, immediately pulling his boots on. He was out the door 5 minutes later.

******************************************************************

When he heard Dave’s knock on the door Klaus almost sobbed, he was standing over the stove which had 3 different pots all starting to heat up. He moved over and opened the door, Dave was alert on the other side -already in emergency mode.

“Hey – how is she doing?”

“Not good –“ Klaus shut the door behind him, “She’s not talking, she’s not reacting, and I just took her temp again it was at 98 –“ They were walking towards Kenzie who was laying on the couch under several blankets. Her arms were wrapped loosely around a vessel-less Rot-rot which, of course, Dave couldn’t see and it just looked like she was holding her arms in a weird position.

“98? That’s a healthy temperature…”

“She runs at 102 or 103.”

“What like, normally?”

Ben stepped in and sat next to her feet while the other two stood over her on the couch, “Yeah, Alvarez started collecting that data when she was a baby – Her natural temperature is between 102 and 103. After she combusts, she checks at 104-105 degrees.”

Dave leaned down and put a hand on her forehead, “Shit. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” He inspected her, “Her cheeks are turning blue..”

Klaus had a hand over his mouth, and he looked like he was about to start crying.

Dave knelt over and placed his head against her chest, “Her breathing’s strong so that’s good.”

“I’m – I’m boiling water – I thought we could give her a boiling hot bath, maybe that would bring it up?” Klaus held onto Dave’s arm like a lifeline.

He nodded and stood back up, “That’s a really good idea –“His eyes scanned the stove, “But that’s going to take too long, I’ll ask if the neighbors have a some bigger pots.” He was out the front door before anybody could say anything and as Klaus and Ben dumped the first few smaller pots of boiling water into the tub he came back holding an extra large pan. He started filling it up with water.

As he placed the heavy, full pot of water onto the preheated stove it sizzled in protest. Klaus was now leaning against the counter, one hand on his neck and the other hovering next to a smaller pan as it started to bubble. Dave reached out and cupped the Séance’s face briefly, when he caught his eyes he nodded encouragingly, “Stay with me – She’s going to be okay. This is a good idea. Why don’t you get her ready and I’ll start bringing in the water, we need to get her in there before it cools down.”

Then Dave paused, “Boiling water won’t hurt her, right? She’s used to this?”

“She prefers it.”

“Just checking because every normal instinct in my body is telling me that this is so wrong.”

Klaus actually laughed, “Good instincts. Now, boil that water so we can put the baby in it.”

He turned on his heel and went back into the living room and got her ready for a bath - of course Rot-rot who had gone into complete panic mode clung on and when Kenzie was placed in the tub went full meth cat - sprinting around the edge and knocking over every bottle and soap they touched.

When Dave came in and dumped the first batch of boiling water into the tub it just looked like items flying off the tub and toppling around untouched. He glanced at it, decided to ignore it and just poured the water. After a few minutes Rot-rot seemed to tucker himself out and he splashed into the water and floated on his back (?)

As the boiling water surrounded the child she just melted into it, Klaus had a rag and was (very painfully for him) bringing it over her face and hair, pulling the scolding water around her horns. Dave continued to bring fresh water as it was ready. 

It took a while but as soon as Kenzie’s eyes started to blink more consistently and the blue began to fade from her cheeks and lips, Ben leaned over, “Kenzie? Can you hear me?”

She looked towards him and nodded tiredly. 

Klaus and Ben simultaneously let out loud sighs of relief at her acknowledgement. They took her temperature again and it was 100.5. 

“It’s coming back up!” Klaus called over his shoulder to Dave in the other room. 

“Thank god!”

It was 30 minutes later when her temperature hit 101.6 that she looked around seemingly confused, “What happened?” 

“Rot-rot!”

“Aww, pumpkin - There she is!” Klaus leaned over and kissed her head, “You’ve been out of it, kiddo - positively frozen! We had to cook you for a little bit.”

“How are you feeling?”

She thought about it for a moment, “I’m okay - My head feels all full though.”

“Rot-rot!”

“Yeah - that’s a cold - just stay with us and it’ll pass soon enough.”

Klaus glanced at his brother, “What kind of cold makes your temperature drop?”

“The kind that demons get, apparently. Also, maybe it’s just the opposite? Our bodies make fevers to try to kill infections so maybe since they already have higher body temperatures their system tries to freeze it out.”

“Whatever you say Dr. House - I’m just happy my lava baby is talking again.”

“Can I get out?”

Ben glanced briefly at his brother, “Yeah - Think that would be okay. Klaus, let's check her temp every 15 minutes or so, we’ll keep her under blankets and just keep getting the boiled water in her system.”

Klaus pulled her out and they settled her back onto the couch with nearly every blanket that they owned piled on top. 

“Hi, Dave!” She said lethargically but the fact that she was talking again had everyone in a good mood. 

Dave knelt down next to her, “Hi, Kenzie - You had us worried there for a second.”

“I’m okay - I don’t know why I don’t feel good.” She pouted, “I kind of feel like shit.”

Klaus snorted. 

“Kenzie -” Ben chided. 

“But I do!”

“She feels like shit Ben - I don’t know what to tell you.” Klaus immediately came to his daughter’s defense. 

Dave laughed, “You get a sick pass - this one time” He winked then added, “I have got this recipe for the best chicken soup in the world - my mom swore it could cure all illness. Would you like some?”

“You’re going to cook it, right?”

Ben snorted mockingly. 

“Pumpkin!”

“You can’t cook for shit, Klaus - I don’t know what to tell you.” Ben mocked. 

Dave grinned, “Yeah - I can make it.”

Rot-rot had crawled back into the doll and was now snoring loudly inside as she cuddled it to her chest, “Extra spicy?”

Dave leaned forward, “Extra spicy.”

They restarted Allison’s movie again and settled into the living room while Dave went out to buy the groceries for the soup. Kenzie finished one cup of boiling water then dozed off, they watched her closely and although her temp wasn’t coming all the way back up to it’s usual degree - it also wasn’t going down. 

After a while Dave came back and started making the food as quietly as he could in the kitchen. They restarted the movie when it ended and Ben just picked up his book again because there’s only so many times he can watch his sister playing a princess with magical powers and he reached that limit about 23 times ago. 

Klaus stood up, careful not to jostle Kenzie awake and snuck into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and watched as Dave cut up vegetables and plopped them in a pot. It didn’t take long for him to notice the eyes on his back and he turned to look at him. “You okay? Scary day.”

“Maybe I wasn’t doing okay but now you’re here so I’m better..” Klaus lulled his head to the side. 

“Anybody can carry pots of water -” He said with a chuckle. 

“Yeah, but anybody’s not you…” Then he added in a more hesitant tone, “Are you okay? You seem tired.” Despite the firefighter’s best efforts to hide it, Klaus couldn’t help but notice the bags under his eyes or the way his hands shook when he wasn’t busy. 

Dave dropped his head with a soft huff and wiped his hands on his apron, turning towards Klaus, “Well, maybe I wasn’t okay - but now I’m with you so I’m better.”

Klaus leaned into his chest and settled against him with a soft exhale. Dave responded by wrapping his arms around him - they moved back and forth a few times as if in a barely noticeable dance. 

“Thanks for coming, Dave.”

“Thanks for calling.”

Ben glanced up irritably from his book, he checked to make sure that his niece was still sleeping then called over his shoulder, “Man, you two fucking suck at being friends.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something wicked this way comes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is another rough one - it's basically the next sort of climax before the next arc of the story so it will get better again I promise. Thank you guys so much for all your wonderful comments on the past chapters - I have been thinking about expanding this story to cover over season one in the future - it will certainly be several chapters away so it's just a thought right now but let me know if you'd be interested in that! I hope you guys enjoy! Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Ps. There is a trigger warning in the end notes of this chapter!

“Séance!”

Klaus had been walking quickly through the city, he’d had a pretty fruitful night but he was eager to get home. In this part of town if someone called him “Séance” he would usually just walk away faster, however, It wasn’t an exclamation, it was an order with the added click of a gun and it stopped Klaus in his tracks. He turned back towards the alley he had just passed, he peered into the shadows attempting to find the source of the deep voice. 

A large man, taller and more muscular than Klaus could ever hope to be, took a step closer. He had a shaved head and a square, unpleasant face. Fear and surprise shot through Klaus’ body but he immediately hid it and flashed a charming smile, he held out his arms, “Dominic! Long time no see!” He pointed a finger, “Prison, right?” 

He laughed, unable to hide the slight shake in his voice, “When did you get out?”

“You owe me a lot of money, Séance.” He growled. 

“Straight to the point! I’ve always admired that about you, Nic -” He didn’t have a chance to continue before there was a meaty hand smashed against his face and he was lifted backwards and slammed back against the wall. Nic pressed the barrel of his gun painfully into Klaus’ stomach. 

He grunted and wriggled against the brute’s hand, “You didn’t even give me a chance! I can write you a check!” He said through the other man’s bruising fingers. 

Nic’s hand lowered and gripped his throat, Klaus squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to claw at the thugs hands. He tried to focus - when Leon almost hurt Kenzie he had somehow been able to push the man back with some sort of telekinetic energy. That would really come in handy right about now. 

“You don’t have the money.” His voice was easy like he wasn’t holding another grown man up with one arm. 

“How the hell do you know that?” Klaus wheezed out, it felt like his throat was being crushed slowly. 

Nic pulled his free hand up and slammed the butt of the gun into Klaus’ temple. Once. Twice. Three times. He dropped Klaus, letting him fall to the pavement gasping for breath and holding onto his head. He groaned and wheezed painfully as the world spun around him at a sickening pace. Nic turned away and calmly placed the gun into his pants, he picked up a bat from the opposite wall and smacked it against his palm. When he looked up, he had a sick smile across his blockish features. 

He glared up at his old dealer, This isn’t really about the money is it?” The thug began casually walking back towards him and he started desperately trying to gain his footing. “Is this because I slept with your girlfriend?” Klaus’ legs collapsed underneath him. 

He barely had time to curl up as Dominic brutally slammed the wooden bat into his body hard enough to splinter.Once. Twice. Three times he bashed him with the bat until Klaus felt his ribs cracking. Nic threw the weapon to the side and began kicking the grounded man, a sick look of satisfaction spread over his boxy features. 

Klaus tried to scream but a boot to his chest caught the sound before it could escape and he started coughing instead. He pulled his body together as tightly as he could and he was about to pass out from the beating when his mind lurched - 

_“Kenzie!? Shit - Kenzie!” Klaus searched around the playground desperately, “She was just here!” His blood ran cold as his eyes scanned over the area and didn’t find her - he had just turned around for a second. He frantically started looking for her as his panic increased every second._

_After too long of searching he finally saw her silhouette next to the small patch of woods just outside the playground. He sprinted towards her form, As he got closer he knew something was wrong - the air became colder and the hair on his arms stood up. He approached the small wooded area and found Kenzie facing away from him, he didn’t stop to look around, only grabbed her arm - “Kenzie Grace - don’t do that! You scared me!”_

_She didn’t look at him, the three year old had a terrified expression on her face and his eyes moved to follow her gaze - crawling towards them now was a ghost. He wasn’t afraid of the demon child, in fact, it seemed like this motivated him forward. He drug himself along the ground by broken arms with bones sticking out through the white tissue paper skin like warped extra limbs._

_Despite the corpse-like appearance of this ghost - it was strong - evil seeped from it like blood and it let out a screech of joy as it saw Kenzie’s horrified expression. It opened its mouth and a long pointed tongue fell out - licking along shattered shards of teeth hungrily._

_It lunged forward and wrapped a cold hand around her other wrist - Both of them screamed and Klaus threw his palm out - a weak rush of blue energy hit the entity - doing very little against this kind of evil but stunning it long enough for him to rip Kenzie’ off the ground and bolt away._

_Klaus didn’t stop running with the child crying against his chest until they were nearly home and even then he turned around and scanned the area to make sure that it hadn’t followed them. He put her down, he held her face and cried with her - his mind still not comprehending what would have happened if he had not found her in time._

_She was hysterical, sobbing and repeating “I’m sorry, momma..” Over and over again._

_He hugged her against his chest, “Don’t apologize- I shouldn’t have looked away - I’m so sorry, baby.” The voice in his head was screaming at him- telling him what an awful father he was, how helpless and how useless he was to even take her out alone one time._

_Klaus took her arm and looked her over - on her wrist where the ghost had grabbed her there were three red scratches in her skin. A hot burning anger welled up in his chest until it was almost painful._

All at once Klaus’ eyes glazed over into blackness and he went silent even as another strike went through his arms and into his face. He was suddenly out of control - like an exhausted passenger in his own body he ceased fighting the presence as it became too strong to even observe. 

No longer registering the pain or the fear he reached out and gripped onto Dominic’s leg. Then like an incorporeal animal lashing out he lunged forward slipping past the bounds of a physical realm and shoved out the thug's soul. He momentarily felt the man’s body as his own but quickly dispatched it violently into the ground. Once. Twice. Three times he slammed the body into rubble until he felt the skull crack open. 

He returned with a snap into his own battered body and slowly stood up, viewing the carnage from outside. Klaus was screaming and fighting as he saw what was happening in front of him but could no more break the barrier than he could have fought this man alone. 

A dark, oozing, blueish black energy crackled around his hands matching the black holes in his eye sockets. Upon seeing the lost soul of his assailant weeping and trying to get back into his mangled body this dark Klaus tilted his head and raised a hand, he sneered and the soul was plunged into the earth with a tortured scream - flames arose where he disappeared into the concrete then vanished. 

Klaus stood still for several moments - then once his eyes retired to their green hue he collapsed next to the bloody scene in front of him. His head snapped around looking at what he had done and he screamed. He screamed until his battered body just gave out and he was left wheezing on the pavement sobbing. 

************************************************************************************************

_“Number Four, what could you possibly hope to gain from this?”_

_Klaus’ entire body jolted, slamming his shoulder into the medical bay cabinet - he dropped the pain meds he was planning on stealing and the pills scattered around the floor. The sight of them rolling away made his stomach drop in panic - his only source of peace sprinkled on the dirty ground._

_His father didn’t sound angry, more a bemused questioning of what his little experiment was doing - he certainly required a straight answer because he was probably planning on writing everything down._

_“I have a headache.”_

_“Pain makes the self stronger. You will not be self medicating - pick those up and put them back at once. I am here to collect you for your training.”_

_Klaus glanced around, his body started trembling and he eyes flicked briefly to the door and he traid to calculate how fast he could run through it. His heart was thumping painfully in his chest and a nauseating sense of vertigo overwhelmed him._

_He shook his head._

_“Use your words, Number Four, when you address me - you are not an animal.”_

_He swallowed, “I have a headache, I don’t think I can train today - I- I don’t want to go back down there..”_

_His father contemplated him for a moment, “This aversion to your own power will only control you. You have been blessed with the potential with greatness yet you will stoop to groveling among ill gotten pharmaceuticals like a common street rat. I am very disappointed in you, Number Four - for both your lies and your childish excuses. Perhaps today will be the day you overcome this sniveling, pathetic fear. We can only hope.”_

_He reached out a hand as if to grab Klaus’ arm and the 13 year old slammed back into the cabinet, “I don’t wanna die again!”_

_“Stop this behavior at once, Number Four.” He gripped onto the child’s upper arm and pulled him forward._

_“Please leave me alone!” He was sobbing, the ghosts were so loud and they never left him alone - he was so tired and he just wanted to escape. The euphoria he felt when high had become his only goal but now he was sober and it was overwhelming his senses._

_As he was pulled forward he felt a terrifying separation and suddenly he pushed against the physical barrier and tumbled through his father’s eyes. He blinked, realizing that he was seeing himself - stoic and rigid with black eyes. He stepped this vessel backwards in panic, Reginald’s soul was pushing back. When he fully grasped what had happened he began to claw his way back into his own body - as he did so Reginald regained control._

_Klaus tumbled backwards as his eyes returned to normal and stared at his hands, he looked up at his father who had collapsed against the med cabinet. The old man was breathing heavily - for once looking his age. Klaus had never seen him look so stunned, so weakened._

_When his father’s eyes lifted to look at his son - his expression was livid. His jaw quivered and for the briefest of moments he thought he heard a guttural growl come from the old man._

_He had never seen him so angry and for a moment he thought for sure he was going to reach out and slap him. Klaus cowered backwards, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. “I’m sorry - I’m so sorry - dad, please… I didn’t mean to.”_

_Reginald stood up straight and brushed off his vest - without a word he gripped onto his son’s arm and began to drag him away._

******************************************************************************************************

“I didn’t mean to - I was just a kid and I thought he was going to kill me again…” 

Klaus finished his story but didn’t look up. He was in so much pain that he was seeing spots but he couldn’t take anything stronger than Advil - and right now he _really_ wanted to pop every pill on the planet. For all he cared at the moment he could have tossed his sobriety down the toilet if only he ceased to remember what it felt like to host Dominic’s body - the helplessness he felt as he bashed his head into the concrete. The way he could feel the pain, for a moment as if it were his own but still separate, a duller version that he could do nothing to stop. 

“That’s - awful… I’m sorry that happened to you.” Dave was on his knees peering up at the injured man soaking in the bathtub - Klaus couldn’t imagine what was going through his head and he certainly didn’t let it show which made him a little nervous. Those nerves melted away when Dave brought up a rag and wiped it against Klaus’ bruised temple. He leaned into the firefighter’s palm and his face twisted attempting not to start crying again. 

What would he have done if Dave hadn’t been there? 

_Klaus curled up against the cold ground, he didn’t have the strength to crawl, much less stand and instead he remained next to the man he had murdered. Despite this, when a vehicle pulled up next to the alley, headlights shining painfully across his face, Klaus attempted to pull himself away - his mind convinced that there were more people coming to hurt him and he no longer felt he could trust his own powers._

_“Shit!” Said a horrified voice and a moment later someone was kneeling next to Klaus._

_He squinted at the face in confusion, “Dave? What are you doing here?”_

_Dave was already checking over his injuries, glancing over his shoulder in paranoia, “You called me. Do you remember that?”_

_“Huh..”_

_“I’ll take that as a no.”_

_“I didn’t mean to…” Klaus couldn’t stop staring at the carnage that he had caused, the scene was looming over him and it made him want to vomit._

_“I know.” Dave moved to his torso and was pressing down against his ribs._

_“Ah! Shit! Just stop! Okay? Jeez… Just stop prodding me! For christ’s sake…” Klaus snapped involuntarily and doubled over protective of his middle as pain shot up through his already overwhelmed brain._

_Dave lifted his hands away, “Sorry - just try not to move too much.”_

_Klaus cringed, “Shit - no, I’m sorry, Dave - I- Just..”_

_“I get it - It’s okay - “ He looked around, presumably for any witnesses or cops then turned his attention back to the injured man, “I’m going to get you out of here, okay? Just try to stay with me. It’s going to be okay.”_

_Klaus nodded, focusing in and hanging on to every word._

Dave was surprisingly quick to just leave the body unreported as he settled Klaus into his truck and drove away. Now Klaus was chest deep in a hot bath at Dave’s apartment, soaking the bruises and the cracked bones- Dave hadn’t left his side and was currently wiping away gently at his bloody shoulder which had taken the brunt of the beating. 

He leaned in to the other man’s chest and let out a shaky exhale as Dave continued to clean his wounds. Dave let him lay against him, giving him better access to bring the rag across his back, dribbling the hot water down his aching spine. 

“I love you, Dave.” He admitted a little while later - when he realized that the water was going cool and he would have to move soon. 

“I love you and I can’t help it -” He choked out. 

Dave poured some water over Klaus’ hair and brushed through the blood stuck into the curls, leaving a pinkish waterfall around his temples as Dave protected the other man’s eyes with his free hand. 

“I know.”

Klaus’ head was leaning forward, partially out of pure exhaustion and partially to give Dave better access to his head wound and hair. He finally lifted his eyes and looked at the man taking care of him, “Did you just Han Solo me, you bastard?”

Dave stopped what he was doing and huffed with a soft smile, finally catching his gaze. “I think you guys should stay with me for a little while. At least until you’re healed up -” 

“That’s cute you thought you were getting rid of me that fast.” Klaus closed his eyes and leaned over with a smirk. 

“Does Kenzie know?” He asked hesitantly. 

Dave reached over and unplugged the tub, pulling a large white towel off the shelves as the water started to drain. He immediately began to pat softly over Klaus’ aching body. “I talked to the chief - Kenzie knows you’re safe but I doubt she knows the specifics.”

He pulled the warm towel around Klaus’ shoulders and then very slowly and carefully helped him stand up, “If it’s okay with you, the chief and Vanya can just bring her over here sometime today.”

Klaus nodded with a wince, “Yeah - I don’t wanna be - Yeah, that’s okay.”

Klaus struggled to remain standing but Dave held him up and led him out of the tub. He didn’t have to ask and a few minutes later he was being led into the guest bedroom in a shirt and sweats from Dave’s closet. 

Klaus wanted to see his daughter, he hoped that she wasn’t worried. Mostly he didn’t want to feel like a monster anymore. He didn’t have much of a chance to dwell on everything that was happening because almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell unconscious.

******************************************************************************************

When he woke up again it was around sunset, he could tell by the light streaming through the windows that left a beautiful pattern on the hardwood floor. He looked around and found Vanya sitting on the edge of his bed, she was watching him patiently. In the other room he could hear Sophie and Dave having a conversation but in the guest bedroom it was calm. 

“How are you feeling?” She asked as she noticed his eyes opening. 

Klaus grunted in response.

“That’s fair.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper volume, “Listen, we talked to Dave but I just want to make sure that you’re okay with this. Just say the word and you guys can come to my place or I can just stay at yours. It’s not a problem.”

Klaus smiled, “That’s sweet but we’ll be okay - I want to stay here.” Then he added, “Just don’t tell Diego - Wouldn’t want him throwing a hissy fit about it.”

“You know he will.”

He hummed, “Is Kenzie here?”

“Yeah, I told her to wait until I could talk to you - I didn’t want her to immediately jump all over you.” She said with a grin. 

“I can’t wait to see her - Do I look too awful or scary?”

Vanya’s face twisted, “You look… Fine..” She said unconvincingly. 

“You really need to work on your lie face, Sis.”

“You look great! Strong and healthy.” She tried again. 

Klaus waved a weak hand, “Okay, now it’s just getting insulting.”

Vanya laughed, “That’s the best I can do.”

“That bad, huh? Fair enough.” He sighed, “Thanks Vanny, for looking out for her.”

“No problem - I’ll send her in. Try to take it easy and call me if you need anything. I may not be the best at fighting or confrontation but I do have a girlfriend who is proficient in using axes, so...“

“Hm, girlfriend - I bet that feels good to say.”

“It does.” She patted his arm and left the room.

A few minutes later the door opened and Kenzie peeked into the unfamiliar room. Klaus lifted his head and flashed a tired smile, “Hey, pumpkin! I miss you today-”

Kenzie ran inside and moved to the other side of the bed, she climbed up and sat down on the free pillow. She pulled her knees to her chest and watched him cautiously as he stiffly rolled over onto his side to face her. 

“Did you have a bad day?”

He nodded solemnly, “Yeah… I had a bad day.” He reached out and took her hand, “But don’t worry, your old man’s been through tougher scrapes than this.” He winked. 

“I thought something was wrong because you didn’t come home. Jessie was worried too. Then Aunt Vanny showed up an’ she said that you were with Dave. But I told them something was wrong!”

“They didn’t want to scare you, pumpkin. Beside’s Dave’s been taking very good care of me - In fact, I was thinking we could just have a sleepover here tonight, how does that sound?”

“That’s okay - Can I sleep in here with you?”

“Definitely! We’ll get some blankets, some extra pillows - we’ll do a full blanket fort thing. Go full sleepover on this bitc- thing.”

She was still curled up around her knees, softly rocking and she seemed to be looking anywhere but at her father’s bruised face. He shifted closer, “Kenzie - look at me.”

She did. 

“I’m okay - I’m not going anywhere and this will all heal up in no time. I know this is scary but we’re going to make the best of it - like we always do. Right?”

“Because we’re scarier than the spooks?”

Klaus nodded proudly, “Because we’re scarier than the spooks - that’s right. Now, come here - I’m not going to break, I promise.”

She smiled briefly and fell onto him with a big hug. It was incredibly painful since she was holding onto the shoulder which had taken the brunt of the bat, been dislocated and then replaced in the past day but he grinned and beared it. 

Klaus glanced up to see Ben leaning on the doorway with his arms crossed, he was kind enough to save him “Kenzie read a whole book to me today.”

She let go of his arm and he had to stop himself from gasping, “I did!”

“What!? And I missed it?”

Ben gestured behind him, “We brought it - Kenz’ you want to go get it? You can read it to mom before dinner - I’m sure he’d love that.”

“I’ll go get it!” She said and then leapt off the bed and past her uncle. 

Ben watched her go fondly before turning to his brother, “You look like shit.”

“Why thank you.” Then he added, “What did Dave tell you?”

“That you got jumped by an old dealer.”

“Did he say anything about him?”

Ben tilted his head, “He said the guy left you after you fell unconscious.”

Klaus sighed, “That’s good… Yeah, that’s what happened…”

“Okay? I’m just happy you didn’t die again - don’t get me wrong, I’d love them but we can’t afford another one.”

Klaus laughed, “Oh my god - can you even imagine?”

“I found it!” Kenzie announced as she re-entered the room holding a small cardboard children’s story book. She climbed back on the bed and plopped down with the book on her lap, “I’ll read it to you.” She stated. 

“Fantastic!” Klaus shifted onto his back to alleviate some of the discomfort and sighed. 

Kenzie opened the first page and cleared her throat dramatically like Ben tended to do before he read her a story. 

“Ten little monsters wake from their sleep-” She began sounding every word out carefully and slowly, “--blinking in the...can- can- what’s that word?” She pointed to the book. 

He glanced over, “Candlelight.”

“I knew that - ‘candlelight, in the castle deep.”

Klaus chuckled and closed his eyes, feeling safe and at home despite the events of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings!   
> \- There is kind of a graphic attack in the first part of the story  
> -Past child abuse (Not against Kenzie. It's just Reginald being a fucking dick) 
> 
> Love you guys!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before we move on there's some things that need to be discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Just a quick update - my work has been crazy so for a little while I'm going to be moving to a once every two days schedule for this story, at least until everything settles down :( . Also, thank you guys so much for your comments and thanks for reading! This chapter is a slower one with a bit of fluff to counteract that fact that Klaus got beat up last one. I hope that you enjoy!

Klaus woke up in a daze – unrelated to the normal reasons he was used to waking up confused such as a previous night of partying, a bad dream, or a stranger. This time when he woke up he was mostly confused because the clock next to the bed showed that he had been out for 10 hours. He shot up – immediately falling back with a painted groan as the events of the previous day caught up with him. Was it possible that he was in more pain than he had been when it happened?

Rather than repeat that ill-advised action he just looked around from his place on the pillow – it was daytime and although the room was darkened, he was able to see everything. His hand flew to the space next to him where Kenzie had been when he fell asleep the night before; the carefully coordinated nest of fire-resistant blankets and a few stuffed animals were now empty and cool.

He recalled the way he felt watching how Dave set up that side of the bed – following the orders of a five-year-old like a champ. Dave had helped get her ready for bed and tucked both of them in for the night. They finished the evening off with a story that Dave read – sitting on the corner of the mattress, occasionally glancing up at Klaus. Kenzie was making comments off and on throughout the story and Ben kept telling her not to interrupt.

The last thing that Klaus remembered was falling asleep halfway through Dave’s bedtime story with Kenzie curled up at his side. He could hear her mumbling along with the words as they were said – completely enraptured with the story. 

Klaus slowly raised up off of his pillow, squeezing his eyes shut as he settled into an upright position. His shoulder was still throbbing, and his body felt like it was just going to scatter to pieces at any moment. He ground his teeth together as he stood and took a wobbly step forward – he could hear vague voices from outside the bedroom and he followed those.

He moved towards the voices down the hall and then leaned against the doorway, from his vantage point he could see the kitchen which was alight with activity. Kenzie was standing on a step stool, her clothes were covered with an oversized apron and she was dutifully holding onto a large bowl. She circled a wooden spoon in uneven patterns – mixing what looked like batter. She was talking loudly over a radio that was playing what sounded like classic rock in the background.

Dave was next to her at the stove in a matching apron that fit him perfectly. In front of him several pans were sizzling gently, sending up a mouthwatering aroma. He was bouncing between foods and nodding along to a long string of ideas that the five-year-old was putting out in the world.

Dave dipped a spoon into something and held it out towards Kenzie, “Here – try this and tell me if it’s good.”

She paused and slurped up the contents, she was very quick to nod, “It’s good!”

“Better than the store-bought syrup, you think?”

“Uh-huh - But I don’t think – I don’t think you made enough…”

“Didn’t make enough? How many pancakes are you planning on eating!?”

She set the bowl down and opened her arms, “So many! I’m a growing BABY, remember?” She slapped her stomach a few times and giggled. Klaus had to cover his mouth, so he didn’t laugh out loud and interrupt the moment.

Dave laughed, “Okay – Growing baby, you wanna pour the first one?”

“Finally! I got all the lumps out so long ago!” She beat the batter a few more times just to make the point.

“Alright, hop down – I’ll move you over.”

She jumped down, ignoring the steps and waited impatiently as Dave dragged the step stool to directly in front of the stove. As soon as he gestured, she was climbing back – surveying the small army of food that was cooking in front of them. Dave stood behind her and helped hold the bowl, “Okay, the pan’s hot – now just gently - _gently_ take a ladle full and pour it right in the middle.” He instructed.

Very carefully she lifted the metal ladle and drizzled what Klaus could see now as blueberry pancake batter into the pan.

“Perfect… That should do it..” He helped her guide the spoon back into the bowl without too much mess. She clapped, hopping up and down as best she could on the top step of the ladder.

“Okay – Now, I’m going to stir everything else. I need you to keep an eye on the pancake and tell me when you see a bunch of bubbles on the top.”

“I’ll watch for the bubbles…” She leaned forward and gazed into the pan – taking the bubble watching very seriously while Dave worked around her and checked all the other food on the stove.

Klaus couldn’t stop watching – he couldn’t stop the fact that his chest felt so warm – that he felt like, despite his injuries, he was in some sort of fairy tale. He had just woken up after 10 hours with no interruption only to be met with this domestic, comfortable scene. The way that Dave interacted with Kenzie, the way everything seemed so natural, even down to the fact that she wasn’t wearing a hat and her horns were on full display – Klaus felt… He didn’t know how he felt but he knew that he didn’t want it to end.

“Are there any bubbles?”

“I’ll tell you when there’s bubbles, Dave!” She retorted and went back to staring at the pan from an inch away. Then a few seconds later she added, “Okay there are bubbles now.”

Dave, who had been watching her dedication to the job with a smirk, grabbed the spatula from the side – “You think it’s ready to flip?”

“I think it’s ready to flip.” She nodded curtly.

“Okay – hold on there – hold on tight.” She grabbed the handle then Dave guided her movements under the food. Between the two of them they did a quick flip, Klaus could hear the successful soft ‘pat!’ sound as it hit the hot surface. Kenzie raised her arms like a touchdown and cheered. Dave did the same.

Klaus raised his hands up in a soft cheer – “Whoo!”

Kenzie’s head whipped around, and she jumped off the top of the step ladder, tumbling forward as her foot hit the handle. Dave caught her before she could hit the ground and swung her back up to her feet – she kept running, unphased. “Whoa! Easy!”

Klaus was very relieved when she slowed down and didn’t just straight up tackle him- there was a good chance he would have just crumbled over this morning.

“Momma! I made a pancake!”

Dave had turned back to plate the first one and was already pouring the second – he briefly winked at Klaus then kept cooking.

“Honestly, it’s about time somebody else starts making food in this house – and we all knew I wasn’t going to teach you.” Kenzie gave him a ginger hug which he was grateful for and they walked in tandem to the island.

He settled into a barstool and laid his head over his arms tiredly, “What’s on the menu today, chef?” then he added to the five year old, “Go get your uncle Ben before breakfast – “ She bolted off to somewhere in the apartment.

Dave flipped over a pancake, “Literally, everything she found in my kitchen.”

“Ah- the Kenzie special. I see.” Klaus opened his mouth as Dave fed him a spoonful of eggs and he chewed It up with a satisfied hum.

They were all seated around a table a little while later while Dave and Kenzie placed food in the middle. Dave only had two chairs, so they cobbled together a couple more – Ben sat quietly as Dave went through the motions of pouring out invisible food onto his plate. 

Klaus tried to make eye contact with him, but his brother seemed to be in a sour mood. However, he was enjoying himself too much to be bothered by this.

Klaus winced as Rot-rot continued making a racket on his little barstool next to his kid – the blood fiend was chatting and clacking incessantly as he watched the food being placed – one bulbous black eye sticking out and following the plates.

“Kenzie – Sweetheart, please feed him so he’ll cut it the hell out.”

She sat down and cut a corner of her pancake stack and doused it in a homemade syrup. She held the forkful to the doll’s broken eye socket. A moment later after an enthusiastic “ROT-ROT!” tiny blood colored hands reached out and grabbed the food which was followed by a cartoonish gobbling sound from within the vessel.

From Dave’s perspective as he drizzled a Carolina Reaper hot sauce on to Kenzie’s food, she just poked the head with a mouthful of pancakes and then they were sucked up into the dead eye socket. The mechanism in the doll’s head then clacked.

He glanced at Klaus who shook his head, “You don’t wanna-“

“I don’t wanna know – yeah sounds good.” He nodded and continued what he was doing before sitting down with the rest of them.

“Good call.”

Klaus wanted to break the ice – every time he looked at Dave, he recalled the day before when he made the stupid love declaration naked in the bathtub after murdering someone and his stomach twisted in knots. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop but Dave seemed to be going through the motions, helping with Kenzie, rebandaging Klaus’ wounds and keeping the mood upbeat. (Although, to be fair they never really got a moment alone) Dave made it clear that it was fine for them to stay there for a while until Klaus healed up and after a chaotic breakfast cleanup he and Kenzie started immediately in on Video games.

Klaus found himself curled as comfortably as he could be on the corner of the couch with a heavy fire-resistant blanket covering him. He watched fondly as Dave and Kenzie argued games before finally settling on a Mario Party – Klaus wasn’t sure which one. Dave had said that he was going to bring this one over anyway to have something else to do with the five-year-old to keep her occupied while he was babysitting.

“I’m Yoshi!” Kenzie said, standing up in the middle of the floor with her control – ready for a battle.

Dave was sitting on the opposite side, no doubt having to see the screen through the child’s horns as she bounced excitedly, “I wanted to be Yoshi!” He said in a teasing tone.

“I called them first!”

Dave grinned, his thumb flicking over the character option screen, “Okay, fine I’ll be Daisy.”

Klaus found himself dozing off throughout the afternoon, snuggled into a nest of the blankets that they brought over (most of Dave’s came with the place and were rough and stiff). Sometimes jolting awake if something particularly controversial would happen in the game causing uproar, then he would continue to watch the screen placidly with his head resting on the cushion. Occasionally he would feel Dave’s hand on his forehead, dutifully checking his temperature as if were sick, more often than not he would just keep pretending to be asleep just enjoying the soft touch.

Eventually, he vaguely heard the game being put on pause and a brief conversation between Dave and Ben – a few moments later he heard Kenzie skip away. Judging by the time and the fact that they had just eaten some take out – Ben was probably getting her ready for bed.

Klaus raised his head and looked over at the man a middle cushion away. Dave was leaning forward idly playing with the controller and staring at the screen. This was the first time they had actually been alone all day – although they could still head Kenzie in the background with Ben.

“Dave…”

He sat back and looked over at Klaus with a concerned expression, “You’re awake – Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much, and I didn’t get my ass handed to me by a five-year-old. That was just a dream.” His voice was almost a whisper as he spoke.

Klaus huffed and leaned over slightly, “Look – uh – we don’t have to worry about the whole… pained declaration of – ‘I love you’ ” He mumbled the phrase through the side of his mouth sheepishly, “—yesterday. I just can’t help feeling that there is a elephant in the room about to shit on everything – so I wanted to… Plug it up.”

Dave thought about this for a few moments, “How do you feel about it now?”

He inhaled and held his breath – caught off guard by the question “Like I’ve got a real runny shit egg on my face. Here you are – you scraped me off the pavement and brought me into your home just for me to drop the “L” word that you don’t reciprocate – Honestly you should have just set me on my merry way – such is life – a foolhardy sappy fool that I have become. Look, I didn’t want to say it but I think I’m going to blame Kenzie on this one – ever since she showed up I’ve been all soft and I say things like ‘ I love you’ now. It’s vomitous – I know--”

Dave watched him while he blabbered on for a few more sentences and when he was finished, he asked plainly, “What makes you think I don’t reciprocate?”

“Yesterday – when…”

“Klaus, you had your head bashed in. You should have been taken to a hospital if it weren’t for all the ‘special’ circumstances I would have –“ He paused, “You tried to kiss me when I was helping you in the truck – do you remember that?”

The color drained from Klaus’ face, “No..”

“Exactly – Look it’s – Hard for me to tell you all the shit that I want to…” He laughed humorlessly, “All the shit that I end up just telling my VA counselor and then moving on…”

“Like what?”

“That I miss you when you leave – That I meant it when I said I didn’t care how I was apart of your life as long as I could be there but it doesn’t mean that I don’t think about it.” He looked away, “Doesn’t mean that I don’t pretend sometimes that all the warmth and life that you’ve brought could possibly be mine. And how damn selfish that is, because protecting Kenzie should be the highest priority.”

“Listen – I love you – and I love Kenzie and all the joy and chaos and insane shit that comes with the two of you. I don’t think that’s ever going to change. But I wasn’t going to have that conversation with the man with blood coming out of his ears.”

Dave cleared his throat and swallowed hard, “So don’t think that I brushed you off yesterday – I just had to think about your head.”

Klaus stared at him with his mouth hanging open slightly, “Because of the injury?”

“No – just in general I’m concerned with the state of your head.” Dave chuckled at his own joke and after a moment Klaus did the same.

Their conversation faded away into a difficult silence as they listened to Kenzie talking in the next room with Ben.

Finally, Klaus spoke up, “I miss you too.”

Dave looked up.

“When you leave. I miss you.” Klaus admitted, his hands balled up on his lap.

Dave scooted a little closer, reaching out and pulling one of Klaus’ hands out of a fist; holding it gently.

“Dave, I fucked up – I don’t want you to go...” He swallowed and leaned in.

“You didn’t ‘fuck up’, you were protecting the thing that matters the most.”

Klaus threw his free hand up – still holding onto Dave’s with the other – “Kenzie loves you! And she deserves someone who is kind and good and strong… Someone who won’t  
treat her like a monster or a bastard child.” He whined, “I mean – we can give it a shot, right?”

Dave nodded.

Klaus rested his head against the other man’s shoulder, his face twisted, “Just don’t you dare break her heart. She’s all I’ve got – you can’t hurt her.”

“I would never forgive myself if I hurt her – or you. I honestly don’t know what would have happened if you two hadn’t shown up and saved me.”

Klaus closed his eyes and held onto Dave’s hand as he spoke, after a while, he looked up, “Dave?”

“Yeah?”

“You can touch.”

Dave hesitated then reached up, cupping the side of his face and placed a tentative kiss against his lips. Klaus closed his eyes and exhaled like he had been holding his breath forever. He was still holding his hand as they broke apart and stared at each other. Klaus felt like they were suspended, and he didn’t want It to end. Didn’t want to lose how loved he felt just in the briefest of gestures.

Luckily, Dave kissed him again, this time with more urgency – a little more desperation that Klaus mirrored, pulling him in and keeping him close. This kiss was longer, almost celebratory as they explored each other’s mouths for the first time – comfortable that it would be just the start.

“I still call Yoshi!”

They quickly separated as Kenzie plopped down between them, now in her pajamas. Dave blushed and cleared his throat, scooting back to his seat and holding up the controller.

She glanced up, seeming unaware of what had been happening, “Are we having another sleepover?”

Klaus scanned over Dave’s face then sighed, “Yeah – We might keep bothering Dave for a little while – if that’s okay with him?”

Dave smirked, “Well, I might need to get some more groceries, but I think I can manage.”

Kenzie raised her arms, “Yay!”

He smiled over at Dave and reached out over the five-year old’s head. Dave did the same and they intertwined their fingers for a brief moment of solidarity or a promise before Klaus shifted back into his spot under the blanket.

“Alright, pumpkin – Knock ‘em dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two notes:  
> 1\. Rot-rot doesn't HAVE to eat - he just likes to eat :)  
> 2\. I have this strange headcanon that has no proof or basis and I get if no one agrees with, which is that Dave always picks Daisy when playing Mario games. Just needed to get that off my chest. Thank you for coming to my ted talk ;)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HALLOWEEN!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween spooks!!! This chapter is basically another interlude - it takes place on Kenzie's sixth birthday so it is not in the same chronological order as the rest of the story. The next chapter will leave off after chapter 22 and the story will just continue from there - so I hope that's not too confusing but this is just a quick slice of life one shot for the special day! Thank you guys so much for all your lovely comments! I have been blown away by the sweetness the past few days! Thanks so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy!

Klaus shuddered and inhaled sharply as he woke up- the vaguely menacing dream sending him into a quick panic. The shadows cast on the wall from their fairy lights and the distant hallway light suddenly seemed to be closing in. He closed his eyes and tried to even out his breathing, a soft inhale - then exhale - inhale - exhale. When he opened them again the room came into focus. 

“You okay?” Dave’s voice was rough from sleep. 

He nodded and the man sleeping at his side moved closer to settle his head against Klaus’ chest. He pulled an arm around him and snuggled close, holding him like a teddy bear giving Klaus no choice but to melt into the warm touch. This was his favorite place in the world - in Dave’s safe embrace and he hummed contentedly as he drew soft circles onto the other man’s shoulder. 

They remained like that for a while and eventually Dave started snoring against him as he drifted away. Klaus couldn’t go back to sleep but that didn’t mean that heaven or hell combined would be able to make him move from this spot. 

4 A.M on the dot he felt Dave shift against him and his eyes fluttered open, looking up at Klaus with a sleepy expression. Klaus responded by threading his finger’s through the firefighter’s hair in the way that he loved. 

“Hm. You keep doin’ that an’ I’m going to fall asleep again.” Dave mumbled against his boyfriend’s skin. 

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” He hugged him tighter against his body and watched fondly as Dave’s arm reached out in a stretch and he yawned loudly. 

Klaus whined as Dave shifted up onto his elbow and the pressure on his body left sending a shiver over his skin. He didn’t move, however, as his boyfriend blinked slowly awake and their eyes locked, “You ready for today?” Dave stretched again, this time his hand came down and rested against Klaus’ stomach. 

Klaus smirked, “Physically? No. Emotionally? That’s also gonna be a no.”

Dave laughed; an action that made him lean over and press his forehead against his boyfriend’s shoulder for support, “Well, I’m excited.” he seemed lost in thought for a few moments until he added, “But I’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”

“David… You’re not responsible for the time you didn’t know she existed.” Klaus had said this again and again but he knew that deep down inside, Dave felt guilt for something that he couldn’t control and just him being him that meant he would have to work to right the wrong, no matter how illogical. 

Dave’s fingers moved up and down Klaus’ skin, and he intently watched the gentle friction between them as he spoke, “I know - but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I could have been there from the beginning…”

“You really don’t - It was a very confusing birth, honestly. And she got a lot cuter after the first day but I’m not gonna lie she was a little weird looking when she showed up.” Klaus rolled his head back, “I mean, I would have loved her but I was pretty happy when she stopped looking like an angry tuber.”

Dave giggled and fell against him briefly, “Oh my god…”

“Newborns are unsettling - and somebody’s gotta say it.” He grinned as his boyfriend shook his head against him. After a moment his smile faded slightly and he reached up to pull his fingers through the other man’s mussy short hair. 

“But if we’re being honest about ugly babies - I don’t blame you for not being there but I wish that you could have been. In the beginning.”

Dave leaned up and kissed him, slow and comfortable like they had all the time in the world - which, of course, they didn’t and judging by the loud thump from the next room, their time was running out fast. He used the hand that had been resting on his stomach to pull him down to kiss him in earnest, Klaus hummed and pressed his forehead against the other man. Breathing in his scent and trying to lengthen the seconds between them. 

They sighed in unison as they heard some softer thumps from the kitchen and Dave smiled, he kissed his nose and fell back onto his own pillow. “5.”

Klaus rolled his head back, “4.”

“3”

Klaus put a finger up, “2.”

“It’s Halloween!” Their door burst all the way open and Kenzie bolted inside. Immediately jumping on the bed onto Klaus’ side of the bed. On her knees she threw her arms out excitedly, “And my birthday!” She announced. 

She tumbled into her father’s arms and giggled as he immediately started tickling her, “And I see that not a single minute of the day will be lost.”

Kenzie shook her head, “Nope.”

“Happy birthday, pumpkin! Muah!” he kissed her on the top of the head just between her horns. 

She draped herself over her father to look at the other man, “It’s my birthday, Dave!”

“What!? It’s your birthday? Klaus, is that why we have all those presents hidden in the closet?”

She moved up until she was basically sitting on Klaus’ hip, “You didn’t hide any presents in the closet. I checked!

Dave grinned at her insistence, “Well, I think you might have missed a few places.”

“No, I didn’t! I checked everywhere!” 

“Nuh-uh.”

“Uh- huh!”

The bed bounced dramatically as Ben dropped himself next to Dave’s knees with a smirk and Kenzie toppled off her father to the middle of the bed. “Were you guys sleeping!?” He yelled with his hands cupped over his mouth like a bullhorn. 

Both men cringed slightly at the volume and Kenzie continued to bounce between them with the energy of a six year old looking at a day full of both Halloween candy AND birthday presents. Ben repeated his gesture and yelled, “Sorry! We thought you were awake!”

Klaus lunged over his daughter and boyfriend and attempted to shove his brother out of the bed to no avail as he phased through him and ended up just collapsing over Dave’s lap. Kenzie was giggling hysterically now and Ben shrugged innocently, “Hey, I don’t need sleep so this seems like a _you_ kind of issue.” He winked and high fived his niece. 

Kenzie climbed over her father until he was effectively trapped between Dave’s legs and the weight of a six year old on his back. He went limp with a defeated “oof.” 

“Say ‘6 years old’!” Ben stood back holding Klaus’ cell phone up. 

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…”

Kenzie bounced and Klaus could feel his back pop. She raised up six fingers and beamed proudly, “Six years old!” 

Dave smiled and held up a tired peace sign. 

There was a soft flash and Ben pulled the phone back to check his work, “Perfect.”

He tossed the phone to the side, “Just emailed that to Allison so don’t even think about deleting it.” He raised his arms, “You ready to start the day, Demon Zombie?”

She leapt off her father and into her uncle’s arms, “Let’s go!” She bolted out of the room to go do god knows what. 

Ben strolled to the door, “You can go back to sleep now!” He yelled through his hands. He narrowly missed the pillow Klaus tossed at his head before shutting the door. 

Klaus went boneless again over Dave’s lap with a groan. His boyfriend was sweet enough to rub his knuckles over his back for a little while until they heard a crash and a surprised “Uh-oh!” from the living room. 

Klaus reluctantly rolled off to his side of the bed and Dave stood up with a long stretch, he looked down fondly at the other man, “Coffee?”

He covered his eyes with his arm and sighed, “You’re a sweetheart. I’ll take it Black - two scoops of cocaine, please.”

***********************************************************************************************

“Aunt Vanny!” Kenzie bolted out the front door and into Vanya’s arms with glee. It was early afternoon and her energy had not ceased one bit through the day. 

Vanya wrapped her in a hug and swung her around, “Oh, you’re getting so big!” She squeezed her against her chest, “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, Aunt Vanny.” Then she moved over to Sophie, who had been standing patiently next to her girlfriend, “Chief!” She jumped into the taller woman’s arms and she caught her expertly and lifted her onto her hip. 

Sophie looked so different when she wasn’t on duty, much softer in a blouse and jeans with her hair no longer in a tight bun and instead curled loosely around her face. Her eyes were covered now in thick lensed prescription glasses now that she wasn’t wearing contacts for work. 

“Hey, fireball. I told you that you can just call me Sophie.”

Kenzie grinned, already kind of glancing at the birthday present bag between them, “Okay, Chief Sophie.”

Vanya snorted and led the other ladies back into the apartment. The place was buzzing with activity just like it had been since 4:30 in the morning except now there were more people. Nova was already there eating (He was a sucker for free food), chatting idly in the corner with Ben and Jessie was busy as always, putting things together and helping as standing still just wasn't an option for her brain. To add to the chaos, Jessie brought her twins, Noah and Riley, who were about a year younger than Kenzie. 

Unfortunately, Because of Kenzie’s ‘special abilities’, she wasn’t able to be around kids her own age very often so Noah and Riley were basically her only friends at the moment that were her age. It didn’t take very long before the children were running in circles together and shrieking. 

Liev showed up next, politely waiting for someone to open the door for them. Ben suddenly volunteered to be the new greeter and stood shyly to the side with his hand raised, “Come on in!” Then he added a little softer, “That’s uh- a really nice dress. It fits you- uh- it’s great, you look good in it.” He stumbled through awkwardly. 

Liev didn’t mind and winked as they came through the door past him, “Thanks, Patrick Swayze.”

Ben laughed a little forcefully and followed them into the house. 

They were followed by Glen, who got a huge reaction as always since it had been so long since Kenzie had seen him. Not much had changed, he still wrapped her up in a bear hug and then went directly to the kitchen to “test” the food. 

A little while later during a game of Hide n’ Go seek with the other children that Kenzie spotted Sophie’s purse had fallen over and something pink was sticking out. Out of curiosity, she got up on the chair and tugged it out, mostly thinking it was candy. 

“Oh- no, no, no - Sweetie, put that down…” Sophie ran to the table and pulled the box out of her hands. 

“What’s a preg-”

“Your mom’s getting your aunt on the phone - don’t you want to go talk to her?”

Kenzie gasped, “Aunt Allison!” and jumped down, bolting into the living room where everyone had gathered with the presents. The fire chief sighed and shoved the little box back into her purse, this time placing it higher on the counter. 

Dave was on his knees, and was opening a brown mailed package with a pair of scissors. 

“Yeah, we’re getting it open now - Oh, there she is-” Klaus moved the phone away from his face and stepped over his boyfriend, “Kenzie, pumpkin- Someone’s on the phone for you .”

She ran up, “Is it Aunt Allison!?”

Klaus put the phone on speaker and handed it over to his daughter with a grin, she grabbed it “Hello!?”

Allison’s crackled voice came through, “Happy Birthday, Kenzie! How are you?”

“I’m having a party!” She said proudly. 

“A party? I wish I could be there! I sent you something since I couldn’t make it this year - I was hoping maybe I could listen while you open it?”

There was some shuffling around but eventually Klaus ended up holding the phone while Kenzie sat on the floor with the box in her lap. She narrated politely to the phone as she pulled open the box, Dave helped her tug out the bubble wrap and a moment later she was holding a beautifully crafted music box. 

She gasped dramatically then added, “What is it?”

“Yeah, Ally, what is it?”

Allison laughed on the other side, “Open the lid.”

Kenzie obeyed and lifted up the gently rounded lid and as she did so a lovely ballerina rose up and twirled to a gentle tune. The 6 year old’s mouth dropped and she watched the figure turn with awe, setting it down and staring at it completely mesmerized. 

“Did it work?”

Klaus watched her fondly, “I think you hypnotized her, Ally.”

“What do you think of it, Kenzie?” Dave prompted. 

“It’s so pretty! It’s perfect…” Shook her head and leaned into the phone, “Thank you, Aunt Allison!”

“Aww! I’m so happy! I’ll let you get back to your party, now. Listen, I’ll call you soon so we can talk, okay? Claire says ‘happy birthday’ and that she loves you!”

Kenzie grabbed the phone back, “I love you, Claire! I will talk- Talk to you soon!”

“You too, baby - Bye!”

Kenzie reluctantly gave the phone back to her father and continued to open and close the music box, completely enraptured by the elegant twirling ballerina. 

The rest of the afternoon was as uneventful as a party for a demon child could be - thankfully, she had learned to control herself when lighting candles so they were all pretty safe. She got several fun toys and everyone dug into the cake pretty hard - so when everyone started filtering out it would make sense that she would have lost some of her energy - but that would be incorrect.

By the time they found themselves knocking on a boiler room door, she was dressed up and ready for the actual festivities to begin. This year, she was going as a demon Zombie which was 100% Dave’s fault since he tended to play a lot of zombie shooter games and she had become obsessed. Complete with torn, dirty clothing, and zombie makeup underneath her fully displayed horns this fit in perfectly with her Halloween motif as last year she had been a demon princess, the year before that, a demon cat and the year before that she was a yellow M&M (her horns hadn’t come in yet) 

Kenzie knocked after her father, “It’s just us, Uncle Diego!”

A moment later he opened the door with an expression that was softer than Klaus had seen in a long time, “Thanks for letting me know you weren’t a threat.” he laughed, “Come here-” 

She ran to him and he scooped her up, placing her on his hip and inspected her costume, “Sweet zombie digs.”

“Thank you! Momma let me rip up my old clothes and then he did all my makeup- It’s easy ‘cause it’s messy and stuff.”

“Nice! Hey, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your party, today-”

“That’s okay- It’s okay to be a little shy.” She said innocently. 

Diego scoffed, “I’m not ‘shy’, okay? I was busy working.”

She shook her head defiantly, “Momma said you were shy.”

Diego glanced over at his brother who was standing in the doorway grinning, “Yeah, well, your momma talks out of his ass sometimes.” Diego put a finger up, “I didn’t forget your birthday, though - I got you something.”

The little one clapped as Diego brought her into the shabby boiler room apartment. Klaus followed (Dave had stayed in the car) and watched as his brother pulled a small purple bag off his stove and handed it to his niece, setting her down at the table. She hopped up and down then looked at him expectantly. 

“Go ahead, you can open it.”

“I swear to god, Diego if you’ve given her a knife…”

Diego turned to face his brother, “She’s 6, you think I’m going to give her a knife?”

“Yes.” Ben said, popping up next to the table where Kenzie was seated. 

The child pulled out the white paper and lifted something that was wrapped in pink leather. She tilted her head, inspecting it, then she read off of the label “Pepper… Spray..” She grinned, “I love it! Is it spicy?”

“Oh my god - don’t eat that -” Ben was already reaching to pluck it out of her hands before she could accidentally unlock it. 

“Diego!”

Diego blocked his dead brother and held his hands up, “It’s just pepper spray! For self defense - I’ll teach her how to use it! Relax -”

“I hate to break it to you, Dee but she can already light on fire - she’s got a built in self defense mechanism.” Despite his initial panic, Klaus wasn’t actually moving from his place on the staircase, instead just watching with an amused expression. 

“Yeah, but that’s if someone has already got her - this stuff will keep people away so she doesn’t even have to burn them.” He glanced down at his niece and winked, “I’ll get the lethal stuff next year.”

She clapped, “Thank you, uncle Diego!”

“No problem - Hey, since your uncle Ben and mom are being such babies about this - you want to leave it with me and the next time you come over I’ll show you how to incapacitate a criminal?”

“Yeah! I can’t wait!” She made a quick punching motion and spun around in her chair as an example “Im’pacitate!” 

Diego high fived her, “That’s my girl!”

She handed the pink pepper spray to him and hopped off the chair, “I’ll come back for it..”

She hugged him one last time and then followed Ben out the front door - before Klaus could leave Diego stopped him, “Hey-”

Klaus turned around at the edge of the exit. 

“You guys be careful tonight.”

He tilted his head in response, “Aw, we’ll be golden, Dee - we’re just going to drop her off on the street and she’ll meet us at midnight at a rendezvous point. You know, basic stuff.”

Diego smirked and shook his head, “Jackass.”

“You know, tonight would be a fantastic night to take the night off.”

“It’s Halloween - It’s the busiest night of the year - someone’s got to protect people.”

His brother hummed, “Fine, then - maybe put some ice on that before you go out cracking skulls - wouldn’t want chafing under the mask now would we.”

Diego pressed his fingers on the ring of bruising around his left eye in response. 

Klaus gave a teasing wave, “Bye, Diego.”

A few minutes later Klaus was getting the passenger side of the car - he glanced back to make sure that the little demon zombie was strapped into her car seat. Dave already had the heat on “How did it go?”

“I think Diego’s trying to make a vigilante minion.”

Dave huffed and put the vehicle in drive, “You ready to get some candy?!”

Kenzie cheered from the back seat and raised her jack o’ lantern bucket, “So much CANDY!”

*******************************************************************************

“I can’t believe she finally crashed…” Klaus mumbled with his forehead pressed against the cool glass of the passenger side window, “I’ve known meth heads she could out last.”

They parked and Dave tilted the rearview mirror to see the heavily sleeping child in the back, “She had to run out of steam eventually, she’s been going for, what? 16 hours straight?”

“Honestly, mind blowing.”

“I’m going to get her bed ready..” Ben whispered and then phased through the backdoor to meet them in the apartment. 

Klaus stumbled out of the car - he wasn’t drunk but he was almost intoxicated from just pure exhaustion. He stretched and yawned, his body shuddering in a twitchy dance at the movement. He moved around, meeting Dave as he was getting out of the drivers side, “I’ll get the baby zombie if you want to get the bags…”

“You sure?”

Klaus waved a hand, “Yeah - Yeah, she’s not too big yet.”

He said that but he still struggled to lift her dead weight out of the car seat - Dave was watching him skeptically so he pushed through and she fell against his shoulder, only stirring a little. Dave got all the bags, including the bucket of candy and led them into the building, opening the doors since Klaus’ arms were full of precious cargo. 

They got on the elevator and as the doors slid shut and they began to rise, Klaus leaned against Dave for support, “Hmm… So what do you think? Still want this?”

Dave reached his free arm around both father and child, he pressed them in close, “Are you kidding me? Today was the best day ever--” He kissed him as the bell dinged then gestured for him to go first. 

“Even when Kenzie accidentally set the rug on fire when she saw herself in costume?” Klaus rocked the little one gently as Dave moved to open the front door. 

“Even then.”

They made their way through their trashed apartment and Klaus settled Kenzie on the bed, sitting her up - she mumbled tiredly and her head lulled to the side. 

“I know, pumpkin - let’s get you out of the undead and into the living again, huh?” With a lot of effort since the exhausted, sugar crashed child was putting in zero help, Klaus managed to get her into some pajamas and wiped away the thick white and black Halloween makeup from her face. He carefully undid the hairpins and brushed out her hair- they would have to wait until the next day to get the white hair paint out because there was no way he was going to try to give her a bath at this point. 

By the time he finally tucked her into bed, she was basically asleep when her head hit the pillow. Klaus pressed a kiss on her head, “Good night, birthday girl.” He flipped open the music box and turned off the overhead light, dimming the room into the soft ambiance of fairy lights. He lingered in the doorway for a moment watching her sleeping form - another year older- was it too cliché to say that it was all going by too fast?

Before he got too misty eyed, he wandered into the kitchen, his footsteps heavy and uncoordinated in a way that only comes with either booze or parental exhaustion. Dave was drying his hands on a towel; he had just finished doing the dishes and there was a wet spot on the front of his shirt to prove it. Klaus poked the spot then hugged him, Dave happily wrapped his arms around the other man, still holding onto the dish towel.

“Now would be a good time for some wine…” Klaus mumbled into his boyfriend’s shoulder. 

He sometimes wondered if Dave missed having alcohol in the house - he used to keep a few beers and a bottle of wine in the fridge but when they moved in he had purged all of that. He never talked about it, never rubbed it in his face, but Klaus knew that when Dave was hanging out with his friends from the station he would have a beer - Klaus could tell because of mint on his breath when he came home. Although Dave seemed to be guilty about it, it meant a lot to Klaus that he was so careful and considerate about the subject. 

Dave hummed, “I don’t have any wine - what about candy? I’ve got plenty of that.”

Klaus pulled away and settled himself on a barstool, “I’ll take whatever I can get - after today, I’m starting to think it’s all the same.”

Dave slid over a kit-kat bar and Klaus began to dig in indulgently ( They weren’t pulling from Kenzie’s hard earned stash - they had a separate bag). They ate silently for a while, just observing the state of the house. Dave had gotten the kitchen all cleaned up but the once pristine, cold and untouched apartment was now positively littered with life. Now with burn marks on the rug, games splayed out, Kenzie’s toys that had been pulled out by three different children, the fire resistant blankets that were strewn chaotically about, and the new toys that she hadn’t had the energy to enjoy yet, all splayed out in the floor. 

“She loved the bike…” Klaus took another bite of his second fun sized candy bar. 

Dave glanced over at the new bike and helmet he had gotten her, “You think so?”

“Oh yeah, It’s gonna be so great… You’re right, Dave - every child needs to know how to ride a bike..” He leaned against the counter, “And to have someone who can teach them.”

Dave watched him from the other side, “I can teach you too, I mean, if you want to.” 

It had been a sort of strange moment when Klaus finally admitted that he didn’t know how to ride a bike and less so how to teach his daughter how to do something so basic. It was everything to him when Dave stepped up and got her the bike - she had been so excited for the present and also for the opportunity to spend more time with Dave. 

“Don’t get me wrong - I love disproportionate size comedy but I think realistically, I’ll need a bigger bike.”

The other man smirked, “I think we can handle that.”

Klaus plopped a tootsie roll from his boyfriend’s palm and tossed it in his mouth, “It’s a date, then.”

He reached out, those misty eyed feelings getting the better of him again and he squeezed Dave’s hand, “I’m so happy that you’re here with me.”

Dave returned the favor by lifting his hand and pressing a chaste kiss against his knuckles politely, “Me too, sugar.”

For a man who had been in multiple orgies, Klaus didn’t know how Dave always managed to make him blush. 

They sat there for the rest of the evening eating small candies and drinking tea until Holloween rolled into November. They talked about the day, they talked about anything and everything until they were too loopy to make much sense, only busting out laughing at the dumbest things. When they finally decided to go to bed, their final kiss for the evening tasted appropriately like chocolate and sugar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOO!!
> 
> (Haha jump scare ;) )
> 
> Seriously though - Happy Halloween! Stay safe out there!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She could see him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope that you guys had a very safe and fun Halloween!! This chapter is one that I've been wanting to do for a while all about Ben and how he's handling all of this new shit in their lives. I hope that it's fluffy enough to counteract all the angst! Thank you guys so much for all your comments! And never be afraid to send me a prompt! I love them so much!! Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoy.

_Ben sat calmly next to the little crib that the shelter had provided for them while they were staying there – despite his pensive demeanor, he was brimming with anxiety. Things had changed in a big away two weeks ago and although he was happy to have his new baby niece in their lives and that he had managed to convince Klaus to keep her – now they had the challenge of actually keeping an infant safe and alive. He would never regret stopping his brother from abandoning her but there was the worry in the back of his mind that maybe Klaus was right (Not that he would ever say such an insane thing out loud). Maybe taking a risk would be better for her rather than relying on the man who was currently vomiting in the next room._

_And it wasn’t like Ben could do anything but encourage his brother and try to guide him in the right places. He had decided on that police station porch that even if Klaus left her – Ben would remain with his niece. Even if she couldn’t see him – he wasn’t going to let her go into life alone (whether she knew it or not) and this was something that he had never told his brother._

_But bad things could happen – and the idea that Ben would just have to watch and would have no power to help terrified him even more now that a baby was involved. This anxiety had plagued him from the moment she arrived, and he was concerned that it would never go away._

_He heard a small “Brrr!” sound and he glanced into the bed. Kenzie was awake now – wriggling softly against her blanket and staring into space. He smiled and stared at her as she took in her surroundings and continued to coo and blink._

_“You’re so tiny – do you know that?” He whispered, his chin resting on the wooden sighed._

_Her little eyes flickered toward him and for a moment he could have sworn she stopped on his face. Ben sat back and looked around in confusion – that was just a coincidence, right?_

_Klaus was still in the bathroom, so Ben got up on his knees and moved a little closer to the infant – his chest twisted in anxiety. It was stupid to hope for something like this and, honestly, it hurt to even think about._

_“Hi, Kenzie Grace – it’s your favorite uncle Ben – I know you can’t—”_

_“Mmm..Brrah!” She blew a bubble and turned her head – her eyes falling directly on his face._

_Ben froze – inspecting her closely, trying to see what she was actually looking at. He turned his head around to gage her line of sight, but the only thing was white ceiling. When he turned back, she was still locked on him._

_Ben shifted back and forth slowly, and her eyes followed him curiously. Out of options he reached a tentative hand into the crib. The infant’s hand moved up and tried to grab onto his finger – when she phased through him, she just tried again, making little sounds of effort._

_Ben pulled back and collapsed on the side of the crib, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. “Oh my god…” He covered his face and a strangled sob ripped out of his body as the realization hit him like a train._

_She could see him._

*********************************************************************

Dave stepped cautiously into what used to be his guest bedroom but was now being transformed into Kenzie’s future room. It was emptied save for the plastic covering the floors and the painting supplies scattered over the plastic tarp. Ben was standing on the far wall gliding a paint roller a little too heatedly over the old white color. When he glanced up at the intruder, Dave didn’t miss the brief eyeroll as he plunged the roller back into the bluish gray paint and continued to angrily cover the white wall. The tension was palpable.

Dave didn’t say anything as he used a flathead to pry open the other can of paint (he decided to leave Ben’s can alone) and poured it into a tray. He moved to the corner opposite his boyfriend’s pissed off dead brother and carefully began to paint.

He exhaled slowly, side eyeing the angry ghost next to him. It was never good when your boyfriend’s brother didn’t like you. It was even worse when your boyfriend’s brother was dead and didn’t like you and lived with you at the same time. 

*********************************************************************

_  
**Earlier that same day…** _

_”Who put a stick up your ass?”_

_Ben snapped the hand towel that he was holding against his leg, “You did!”_

_Klaus moved a box and set it down on the counter, “Jeez – someone’s cranky. Are you really that upset about the bed? We can go get it if you really must have it, but she’s grown out of it and I don’t know about you but I’m not planning on having another demon child. I don’t care if you have baby fever or not.”_

_Ben groaned, “No – I don’t care about – Klaus, you are literally moving in with this man.”  
His brother rolled his eyes and dropped the long pink boa back into the box, “This again? You know, you’re starting to sound like a broken record.”_

_“I just want to know what happened to my brother who actually made decisions to protect his family.”_

_Klaus scoffed, “Protect h- Dave’s apart of this family whether you like it or not!”_

_“And I guess my choice means nothing.”_

_“You were out voted!”_

_Ben clenched his fists, “She’s 5! She doesn’t understand what she’s voting on!”_

_“Well, that’s convenient – her vote counted when you two were trying to get me on the whirly ride at the fair. I’ll remember that.”_

_“I just think it’s real funny that you’re all ‘you, me, and Kenzie against the world’ until some hot piece comes into the picture and now we are literally trapping ourselves with him.”_

_Klaus moved closer to his brother, getting up in his face, “This—” he gestured to Ben, “Has nothing to do with Dave and we both know it.”_

*********************************************************************

After a while of silent painting with Ben festering next to him, Dave finally looked over “Ben, could I talk to you about something?”

The ghost glanced over, “Wow, Klaus is already running to you to fix his problems. That’s cute.”

“He’s in there going through boxes with Kenzie. He didn’t tell me anything, I mean, he didn’t really have to… And, honestly, this is probably something that I should have brought up before we got to—” he gestured to the half painted room, “All this.”

Ben sighed, “Dave, listen, I don’t hate you. I think you’re a great guy.” He gestured to the door with his paint roller, “Klaus and I are just disagreeing on some things.”

Dave laughed lightly, “It’s okay if you hate me – I wouldn’t blame you.”

Ben looked to the floor before continuing his strokes.

“I get it. You’ve raised Kenzie. It’s not that hard to tell; for all the ways she’s so much like Klaus – she’s just as much you. I know that you’re her uncle, but you might as well have been her other father.” Dave cringed at his own words, “Not to make it weird or anything.”

He was trying to lighten the mood which Ben really wished he would just stop - he didn’t want to have a stupid heart to heart with this guy. Dave already won- he didn’t have to rub it in Ben’s face. 

“I’m not trying to encroach on your relationship with Kenzie. I don’t want to take any of your time together and I’m certainly not trying to replace you – I can’t do that. You’re so important to her, you’re her uncle, her father figure and the guy who’s always been there for her. There’s nothing I could do to be more important in her eyes.”

Ben stopped painting, his head still tilted to the ground rigidly, “Except that you’re alive.”

*********************************************************************

_Klaus grabbed a paint bucket and turned away from his brother flippantly. Ben scoffed and picked up the one that he left (which he could have also carried but didn’t. It’s funny how, when you’re angry everything the other person does just heats up the fire)._

_“Klaus - I’m not the crazy one here. We are up ending our lives and just hoping that Dave doesn’t have any dark secrets. Just hoping that he doesn’t end up having any angry meltdowns. Think of how bad it was with Leon? Now imagine we couldn’t get away from him without ending back on the streets.” He was trailing close behind, attempting to stop his brother’s cocky stride._

_His brother dropped the can of paint and twirled on his heel in agitation, “You keep bringing that up, well, guess what, Casper? It’s not going to scare me anymore! Kenzie deserves someone who will take care of her! Hell-” He threw a palm out in agitation “Someone who will treat me with that sweet, sweet kindness I’ve become addicted to since he showed up…”  
Klaus’ hands flopped to his sides solemnly, “She needs to see that.” He concluded. _

_Ben sighed, his brother’s words going completely over his head as he struggled to make his point before they were too far gone, “And how long is it going to last?”_

_“This isn’t about Dave - And i’ll tell you why, Benny boy. Because you didn’t care about how Leon treated me as long as I didn’t come home with bruises--”_

_Ben rolled his eyes, “That’s not true--”_

_“Because Leon had nothing to do with Kenzie - he never asked about her, never spent any time alone with her, he barely saw her” Klaus counted on his fingers as he listed off, “And he never took any time away from **you**.”_

_“You’ve got your ghostly panties in a pucker because Dave has actually stepped up to take care of Kenzie and you can’t let go even a little.”_

_Klaus was staring right at him having actually made a solid argument - at least when he was high nothing he said ever made any sense._

_“That’s not true.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yes, really. But also - he doesn’t need to ‘step up’! Kenzie has already got someone taking care of her - she doesn’t need a third.”_

_“Not even someone alive?”_

_Ben seethed - it had been a long time since he had been this angry with his brother._

_“Fuck you.”_

*********************************************************************

Ben threw the paint roller into the pan, he was ready for a fight - so sue him. And the absolute nerve of his brother’s boyfriend to come in here and try to relate with him only made it worse. 

“No. You don’t “get” it, Dave because you couldn’t possibly understand what’s happened to me. I’m DEAD. I’m fucking dead – and look, I know I’m lucky to have a brother who can see me.”

He swallowed, “But you weren’t there in the beginning, standing on the side, completely powerless. Helpless. While Klaus destroyed himself – It was like watching the slowest suicide in the world and not being able to do a damn thing to stop it.”

“You know Klaus now, after Kenzie has sanded down all his edges but I’ve lived with him when he was sharp and cold and drowning in drugs. I’ve been with him while he’s overdosed, when he had drug induced mental breakdowns, when he was beaten, when he was…” Ben closed his eyes rather than finish the sentence.

He paced trying to compose himself again while Dave stood patiently to the side, having ceased any painting. He kept waiting for the firefighter to stop him or to interrupt him but he remained silent even when Ben said things that obviously made the man cringe - he didn’t butt in. 

So Ben just kept on rambling, “Sometimes, I regretted not going into the light. But, I was scared to leave so I just held on – told myself that just because it wasn’t good doesn’t mean that it wasn’t _life_.

Ben exhaled as his expression broke into a fond smile, “And then… Kenzie was there. And she could see me. It was the best day of my life and death. Suddenly all that suffering was worth it just to have an opportunity to be apart of her life. To be apart of something special and precious.”

“She brought so much life and happiness and hope into everything. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her and I promised that I would never leave her – she would never have to face this world alone like her father and I had to do!”

Ben was talking so fast and he couldn’t stop himself - the words just kept tumbling out of his mouth.

“So- fine, whatever, you go be the living, breathing man that she can count on but please don’t push me out. She gives me life, without her there’s no reason for me to be here. I owe her  
Everything. She’s my everything.”

“She’s my--” Ben’s voice broke “-- baby.”

*********************************************************************

_“This is good for us! You should be happy! Just practically speaking at least - Half rent, literally an in-house firefighter, someone with a vehicle, not a single. fucking . rat. in . any. Of the. couches and yes- another person to help raise this very uniquely special needs child.”_

_At Ben’s still livid expression Klaus sighed and put a palm up, “And I’m sorry, okay? Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you’re not a super important part of the family but I just want you to see how-”_

_“ ‘Important part of the family’?!” Ben laughed at the sheer audacity , “That’s rich coming from the guy who literally tried to leave his newborn daughter on a porch! Face it, you probably would have sold her for drugs in the first month if I hadn’t been there to constantly support you and put up with all your shit!”_

_Klaus took a step back and frowned, “That’s not-”_

_“We both know that if I had been alive, you would have just given her to me anyway and gone back to your hedonistic, drug addled, fever dreamed cowardice lifestyle that you loved so much and never thought about your daughter again.” Ben spat the words and he immediately regretted them but he didn’t regress._

_Klaus closed his eyes and exhaled, his mouth thinning into a tight line. He turned and walked out the door without another word._

_Ben dropped his head with a loud irritated sigh and kicked the plastic at his feet._

*********************************************************************

Dave didn’t say anything - only wanted as Ben struggled to compose himself and for what it’s worth, he was appreciative that the other man didn’t just jump on him or ask him questions, this gave him time to pace and then regretted pouring his heart out on this dude. 

He finally glanced up sheepishly, “I- uh- Sorry about that but you - you get the idea now.”

“That feel good to get off your chest?”

Ben sighed, “Yeah. Yeah it did.”

They stood in a relieved silence for several moments until Ben finally spoke, “For what it’s worth- I am happy that you’re stepping up. Shit knows my brother and niece need someone like that.”

Dave crossed his arms and leaned against the unpainted part of the wall and it started feeling like they were having a one on one conversation, “To be fair - I don’t really see it like that. Look, Ben, I’ve got my problems.” He laughed twirling his finger next to his head, “I’m literally in therapy 1-2 times a week trying to deal with this shit.”

“I met your brother at one of my darkest points - he never had any judgements. He was just kind to me and not to be too ‘on the nose’ but he warmed up my cold, dead heart - and I’ll never not owe him for that.”

Ben smirked lightly, “To be fair, he’s in no position to ever judge anybody, ever, for the rest of time..”

Dave huffed with a light smile and a knowing nod, “I love Klaus, and you know damn well I adore Kenzie.” he sighed, seemingly thinking hard about his next words, “And you’re everything to them so that means you’re everything to me too.”

Ben took a step back, “Okay- wow- I get where Klaus is coming from now..” He murmured. 

“I’m the one moving into this family from the outside - There is nothing I could possibly do that could replace you in that little girl’s eyes because even though I do want to step up and be someone she can depend on, that’s what I expect of myself, it’s not because that’s what she needs.”

Ben closed his eyes as he felt a lump in his throat. 

Dave smiled, “Also- And I _can’t_ stress this enough, I’m the only person here without catastrophically powerful super abilities. I’m just a guy. A guy who fell in love with a superhero and now I’m here--” He grabbed the paint roller and dragged it down smoothly against the wall, “Painting the baby’s room.”

The ghost laughed, “I guess that’s fair - we can take care of ourselves even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

He sighed and continued where he left off with the gray paint, “I’ve given Klaus so much shit - But maybe. Maybe it would be kind of nice to just be the uncle again. I’ve slipped into the full parent role and now I guess I forgot how to turn that off…”

“Diego gets to have all the fun as an uncle - he gets to do shit like give her a bunch of candy, teach her martial arts then just drop her off with Klaus and go on about his day- You know, the cool parts about being an uncle. Torturing your siblings.” His face lightened at the thought of it and he could feel a strange sort of hope that he didn’t know he had been missing.

Dave refreshed his paint roller, “And just tell me if I’m overstepping boundaries - I promise I don’t want to push you away. From her or your family.”

“Just a quick question - Whose idea was it for us to move in to your place?” The anger had faded and now Ben was feeling more comfortable just to talk to the guy. 

Dave paused, then admitted, “It was mine. I know it’s dumb because you guys are so powerful but I worried a lot - especially after Klaus was jumped.”

“Huh.” Is all Ben said. 

They painted together in silence for a while, lost in thought - honestly, it was kind of nice to hang out with someone who didn’t feel the need to fill every single moment with conversation or sound. If this had been Klaus or Kenzie they would have been 6 minutes deep in an improvised dance song.

“Hey, I’m sorry that I’ve been such a dick - It wasn’t fair for me to do that to you without even talking to you first.”

“It’s alright - You’re protective of your baby. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.”

Ben raised an eyebrow as he noticed the slight lilt in the other man’s voice, “Where are you from?”

“Texas.”

“Huh…” Maybe he should have asked a few of these questions sooner because he was just figuring a lot of this information out now. 

“Have you met Diego? Or talked to him about --” Ben gestured to the in progress room, “All of this?”

Dave chuckled, “Briefly - I think he thought I was the pizza guy though.”

“Hm - Well, i guess I’m going to have to do it then. Which sucks because we’ve had such a nice grown up conversation. But- “ Ben sighed and continued on like he was listing off the terms and conditions, “Just so you know, if you ever hurt Kenzie or Klaus - ever lay a single unkind hand on either of them, we will destroy you in every way possible and I can’t guarantee that you’ll make it out alive.”

Dave grinned and reached out to shake Ben’s hand professionally, “That sounds fair.”

Ben nodded, satisfied and feeling better than he had in weeks as they had been planning this move. The warm fuzzy feeling didn’t last long as he remembered the fight from earlier in the day and the harsh words he had thrown at his brother. 

“Is Klaus furious with me?”

Dave thought about it for a moment, “He didn’t tell me what was wrong but he seemed more upset than angry.”

“I fucked up. I said something that went too far.” He admitted. 

“Klaus and Kenzie are sorting boxes if you want to go talk to him. I can finish up in here.”

“Thanks Dave.”

Ben made his way to the living room, which was in a massive state of upheaval. Klaus was sitting on the edge of the couch surrounded by boxes and he was going through what looked like Kenzie’s drawings of which he had been saving every single one. He had a pile with about two pieces of paper with penned scribbles (Ben could assume this was the ‘throwaway’ pile) and a much larger stack filled with random toddler art (Ben knew this was the ‘keep’ pile) This is about as well as Ben assumed the whole downsizing mission was going to go.

Kenzie was in the middle of a few boxes filled with her toys and when she saw her uncle, she jumped up and tackled him. He swung her up and hugged her tightly, the high emotions of the day and the old feelings being unearthed making him particularly stubborn to let her go. “Hey, kiddo..”

“Hi!” She tilted her head and inspected him, “Are you okay? You’ve been gone all day?” She pouted. 

“I’m doing great - I’ve just been painting your room.”

“I know! Momma said that you were painting. He said I couldn’t go in there ‘cause the paint fumes make my brain cells fall out!”

Ben chuckled despite himself, “Good call on mom’s part.”

He reluctantly put her down and she hopped over to her ring of boxes and began pulling her stuff out and ‘organizing’ it. Ben inhaled deeply and moved over to sit next to his brother while Kenzie idly narrated everything she was finding. 

Klaus didn’t look up, staring between a strange bubbled headed green alien (maybe) and a single stick figure in front of a rectangle on red construction paper with the letters “Hooleo” scrawled above it. He sighed and put both of them in the ‘keep’ pile. Can’t compare artistic genius apparently. 

“I’m sorry.”

Klaus glanced at him sideways and blew a raspberry, “Yeah, me too…” Then he leaned against his ghostly brother and surveyed the chaos around them. 

“I mean, I’m still not packing this shit up again. Also, I don’t want to go anywhere - I like it here. And so does the munchkin.” He gestured to where Kenzie was running around in circles with a laundry basket on her head. 

Ben shook his head, “Listen, I had some issues but I think I can work through them now - you were--” He made a soft gagging sound, “--You were ri-” He gagged again.  
Klaus raised an eyebrow, “Spit it out.”

Ben groaned in pain, “You were _right_.”

“Ah-Sounds like music to my ears..”

“I think that this is a good step for us and I’m… Looking forward to being able to be the uncle again. And this way we’ll have a little room to breath.”

Klaus applauded with a victorious “Yay!”

Kenzie looked up, “Yay!?”

“Yes! Yay! Uncle Ben has finally come around to us moving in with Dave!”

She looked between them, trying to figure out what was going on, “But we voted…”

“Yes, we voted but uncle Ben’s a communist.”

Ben put his hands up, “You don’t even know what that means!”

“Uncle Ben, why are you a com- com-munist?”

Klaus snorted. 

“I’m not a c- Klaus!”

Klaus giggled and rolled against his dead brother’s shoulder, “Oh you love it, comrade.”

“Yeah, whatever... “ Then he whispered in a more solemn tone once Kenzie continued her playing, “Seriously though, I went too far - are we good?”

Klaus swatted a hand, “Yeah, yeah, we’re fine - easy to get a little snippy when we’ve been glued to each other for 13 years. I get it. But I do love her so much - And yeah, maybe I will never live down the fact that I almost left my little riddle demon on a porch but I’ve never not loved her..”

“We both love her - That’s a part of the problem. I know you love her and I know you’ve been trying your best - I was just angry and trying to pour salt in the wound.”

Kenzie moved over and without a word climbed onto Ben’s lap holding a barbie doll by her hair. “What are you guys whispering about?!” She got comfortable and began tugging at the doll’s lochs, “There’s not supposed to be any secrets, remember? That’s what you said - and it’s not even my birthday so It’s not about presents..”

“Uncle Ben’s not feeling the love right now - he’s afraid you’re growing up too fast and you’ll forget about him.” 

“Klaus, I-” 

Ben’s scolding was interrupted by an indignant gasp from the little one as she tossed the barbie to the side, twisted around and grabbed onto his neck, “I love you! Why don’t you feel love!? I can’t even- I can’t even reach the freezer for the ice cream yet - I’m not too big… I love you, uncle Ben…”

“Sweetie don’t--” Ben was going to argue, not wanting to worry her. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her close. He would never get tired of this, never stop being thankful for every single moment he was blessed to be with his niece. He closed his eyes as felt himself getting emotional again. 

“I love you too, Kenzie. So much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl I get emotional when I think too deeply about Ben <3


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This one is a prompt chapter based on this wonderful suggestion by the lovely exhausted_pigeon who asked 
> 
> _if you could write a little snippet or chapter I guess about Kenzie calling Dave dad that would be amazing_
> 
> Wow, this one got away from me! I really hope that it's not too much because this one ended up being the longest chapter of this story so far I think. I really loved this prompt - this is another one which will probably out of chronological order, happening after Kenzie's 6th birthday and after she starts 1st grade. Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy !

_A 15-year-old David Katz sat glumly at the breakfast table picking at his food. His uncle Brian was reading the paper and sipping coffee, seemingly unaffected by the intense argument that had broken out between Nora and his Aunt Sara. Dave was reluctantly seated between them as their conversation about a gay man who had been kicked out of the church turned into a political battle of wits between two very stubborn women._

_Dave wished that for once, just for once, Nora would have let the snide comment about the man probably being a pedophile slide by, but she refused. He always admired that fact that his older sister never just kept her head down but he just really wanted to be able to enjoy his breakfast without constant barrage of hateful words spewed by someone who had no idea the people she loved were the targets._

_To his aunt Sara, this was just an amusing disagreement with her hilariously youthful and foolish niece but to Nora ( who Dave knew damn well wasn’t just super passionate about queer rights for no reason) it was a frustrating viewpoint of a hateful relative that she just had to squash or else her 17 year old lesbian warrior spirit would just explode._

_The intense anxiety thrumming in his chest for the disgusted looks, harsh punishments (for his own good) and the fear of being ostracized from the only people he had left, kept him quiet. No matter how shitty it left him feeling. His family had big expectations from him, Uncle Brian already proudly talking about when he would enlist and follow in the footsteps of the brave men in his family who had served their country. The fact that being honest and proud would turn that proud smile into a disappointed sneer from the only father he had ever know made him wilt against confrontations like these._

_“Nora – you sound ridiculous! These people aren’t ‘natural’ – They’re choosing a life of sickness and sin.” His Aunt Sara laughed, “They’ll never be loved properly.”_

_Dave winced._

_Nora’s mouth dropped, sitting back in her chair in shock, “Oh my god – I can’t believe I’m related to such a heartless bitch…”_

_Aunt Sara gasped._

_Uncle Brian finally looked up from his morning paper, “Nora Katz! You will not talk to your aunt that way in this house, do you understand me?”_

_Nora glowered._

_“Go to your room and finish getting ready for school – I don’t want to hear another word, you hear me?”_

_Nora slapped her napkin down and left the table – shooting a particularly sharp glare at Dave as she moved past him. His aunt Sara shook her head and mumbled absently about troubled youth and bad friends as she began to clean up the table._

_His Uncle Brian glanced up to his nephew and shook his head with an amused smirk, “Women, amirite?” He chuckled and went back to his paper._

_Dave put his fork down. He was too sick to his stomach to eat anymore._

**********************************************************************************************

“Oooh! A _programme_! Fancy!” Klaus took two little pamphlets from the sour looking teenager. Klaus handed one to Dave and he opened it looking through the schedule and the list of 1st graders who would be performing that day. Kenzie was in the last group which meant that they would be sitting through many slow, nervous speeches from these little ones until they got to the real reason they were there.

Kenzie had been keeping her presentation pretty secret, normally she told them everything about her assignments but, at least with Dave, she had been keeping this one close. He felt like Klaus was acting a little strange – a little more excited than usual. He loved watching anything to do with Kenzie but due to having the immune system of a newborn kitten and his visits to the school auditorium was generally accompanied by some bemoaning of being surrounded by hoards of germy 1st graders.

They were next greeted by Kenzie’s teacher, a lovely woman with sweeping hair and a taste for large jewelry, she opened her ringed hand welcomingly, “Mr. Hargreeves! I’m so glad you and your boyfriend could make it – your seats are right over there.” She pointed to the first row and then moved on to the next parents.

They got settled and Klaus argued absently with Ben as they struggled to steal an extra seat for the ghost to occupy during the performance. After nearly getting into a fight with a mother, Klaus finally settled down just in time to see the line of kids showing up at the edge of the makeshift stage, all holding little homemade booklets.

Kenzie was in the back of the line, shifting nervously in her dress and uncomfortable shoes that they had gotten just for the occasion. Everyone was talking and some were even roughhousing only to be scolded by a teacher but their little one was staying a few feet away from the other children. She would occasionally reach up and adjust her oversized beanie only to drop her hands and kick her feet nervously.

It was strange seeing her in this environment – going from the hyper, talkative child who would capture a room to this shy little girl who was avoiding eye contact with the other children and teachers. The school staff said that it was because she had been homeschooled for so long and maybe they were right but of course, they only had portions of the truth.

Kenzie glanced up and caught eye contact with Dave, he smiled and waved – nudging Klaus to get his attention.

“Wha- oh! Hi, Pumpkin!” He waved enthusiastically.

She scanned the room then cautiously ran up to them, a few of the teachers saw her but just turned their heads when they realized she wasn’t just running off. Seemingly happy to get out of that line, she barreled into Klaus, “Hi, momma! Hi, Uncle Ben! Hi, Dave!”

She stayed with them, telling them about her morning until the actual show started and she reluctantly went back to her line. The show was very sweet, every kid doing a presentation about someone who was important to them while showing them the pages of their homemade books. There was a lot of awkward pauses, phone camera’s clicking and parents  
shuffling to get a better view when their kid was up.

Dave didn’t know how long they were there until it was finally Kenzie’s turn but eventually, she shuffled forward to the microphone, a teacher ran forward and helped to adjust the height then disappeared back to the side. Klaus leaned forward over his crossed legs and held up his cell phone to start taking video.

Was Dave supposed to be this nervous? It wasn’t like he was the one doing the presentation but seeing Kenzie up there alone, so nervous and shaky, twisted his stomach in knots.

She stepped forward and cleared her throat into the mic, she held up the front of her booklet, “A very important person. By Kenzie Grace Hargreeves. That’s me.”

“A very important person to me. Is my dad. I have two dads-“She opened the book and pointed to an approximately drawn picture of two men, one with dark curly hair and one with a fire helmet on. “A momma dad and a dad dad – I’m talking about my dad.” She used her finger to circle the man with the hat.

The blood drained out of Dave’s face and he sat back slack jawed. She had never called him…

Kenzie flipped the page, “My dad is a firefighter and he is very strong. He teaches me about fire safety.”

**********************************************************************************************

_“I’m sorry!” Kenzie sobbed, pressing her hands into her eyes and sniffing.  
Kenzie was standing off to the side as Dave brought the heavy blanket over the remaining flames that had started crawling up the wall of her bedroom. Half of one of her posters was singed away and the paint was bubbled and ruined in a line towards the ceiling._

_He finished putting out the fire and tested the remaining integrity with his hand before turning back to the child with a sigh. After opening the window and picking her up to bring her away from any remaining smoke, he crouched down to her level._

_“I didn’t mean to!”_

_“I know you didn’t mean to, but we’ve got to be careful, right? It doesn’t take very long before the fire is out of control.”_

_Kenzie pouted, staring in frustration at her own hands and the ember tint that was just now fading away._

_“Kenz’, look at me—” She reluctantly turned back to him, “Fire isn’t bad; it keeps us warm, it cleans, it takes out the old so that new, healthier things can grow, it gives us light and comfort in the darkness but we have to respect it, otherwise it might get out of control and that’s when things get scary.”_

_He put a hand on her shoulder, “That spark inside of you? Is good. Now, we just have to learn how to respect it, how to work with it so you don’t have to be afraid of it getting away from you. This is something that we can work on—This was an accident, you understand?”_

_She wiped her eyes with a defiant sniff, “I’ll try.”_

_He smiled, “That’s my girl!” He glanced inside of her room, “Now, you ready to help me strip that wall and repaint it?”_

_Kenzie nodded, “Okay…”_

_He picked her up and placed her on his hip, “Hey – don’t cry, okay? Things happen and when they do, the important thing is that you do your best to make it better.” They came back into the room and he looked around, “Okay, you start clearing the area and I’ll go get the supplies.”_

_She jumped forward and immediately started pulling her stuff away from the ‘incident’ area. Dave nodded approvingly then left, once he was in the next room he leaned against the wall, pressing his forehead into the cool surface. “Shit…” He let out a shaky exhale, “That was too close...”_

**********************************************************************************************

Kenzie cleared her throat, refusing to look at the audience. She flipped to the next page, “My dad knows a lot about a lot of things and is good at fixing broken things.”

**********************************************************************************************

_“What’s the matter with it?” Kenzie jumped out of the car and followed Dave as he pulled the hood up and locked it. They had been on their way to pick up Klaus when the car just started sputtering.  
He peered into the engine, his head waving over the parts, “Ah, it’s probably just a spark plug or the battery.”_

_She rested her chin against the side and watched him, “Are we stranded!?”_

_“Nah – we’ll be back on the road in no time. Tell you what, you mind fetching that little tool bag from the back for me?”_

_“Okay!” She skipped over and opened the back door._

_Dave leaned over as she started searching for the tool bag and whipped out his phone, he started typing rapidly, “What the fuck is wrong with this thing…” He mumbled under his breath._

**********************************************************************************************

“It’s because my dad likes to read books. Big books with lots of pages and cool pictures. My momma calls him a nerd, but I like his stories.”

The audience laughed, some of them glancing over at her fathers. Dave didn’t notice; He was captivated by Kenzie’s words and his face was lit up with the most wonderstruck expression.

**********************************************************************************************

_“Dave?” The little one leaned over the edge of the couch watching him- her mom was still at work and he would be for a few more hours. With no school work to do, she was obviously bored._

_“What’s up?” He was laid out on the couch with a book a few inches from his face._

_“What are you reading?”_

_“This-” He tilted the novel over and displayed the front, a wavy orange pattern that didn’t make very much sense to the child, “Is my favorite book of all time.”_

_“Why is it your favorite? Is it special? ‘Cause it seems like a lot of books are just really boring.” She lulled her head on the cushion, seemingly unable to sit still._

_He thought about it for a moment, “I don’t know - I think it’s exciting and fun - it’s a great story to sink your teeth into.”_

_“Sink your teeth into? Are their vampires?”_

_He laughed, “No - no vampires in this one but there’s lots of adventure.”_

_“Hmm… Are there pirates?”_

_He dropped the book to his lap, “You’ll have to read it for yourself - that’s the fun of getting into a new story.”_

_“But I’m 5, Dave! That’s like twice as big as my books - I’d have to be a-” She made a head explosion gesture, “So smart.” She wiggled onto the couch, “Maybe you could read it to me?”’_

_She looked up at him with big green eyes and he smirked, “Okay, I’ll read it to you - come on-”_

_She climbed into his lap and cuddled back into the crook of his arm, he marked the page he was on and flipped back to the very first page and began to read…_

_“A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct. This every sister of the Bene Gesserit knows. To begin your study of the life of Muad'Dib, then, take care that you first place him in his time: born in the 57th year of the Padishah Emperor, Shaddam IV. And take the most special care that you locate Muad'Dib in his place: the planet Arrakis. Do not be deceived by the fact that he was born on Caladan and lived his first fifteen years there. Arrakis, the planet known as Dune, is forever his place._

_\- from "Manual of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan”_

_He glanced down at the little one as he finished the first passage._

_“Hmm… I don’t know what any of that means… keep going!”_

_Dave had read Dune many, many times over the course of his life but the first few chapters that he got to read aloud until Kenzie fell asleep against him were his favorite time reading it._

**********************************************************************************************

“He has a cool tattoo and I like when he draws with me. He is the best cook.” She flipped the pages and showed little blurbs of all the things that she mentioned then she continued, “Those are just some things that I like about my dad.”

She took a deep breath and flipped the page. 

“My dad always takes care of my momma. When he’s sick and also, just when he’s fine.” At this she finally glanced up to the audience then quickly looked back down to her reading. 

“My momma is very happy when he’s around and that makes me happy too.”

Klaus moved over closer and kissed his cheek, “She’s not wrong.” He whispered and Dave pulled an arm around him, his eyes still focused on the booklet that Kenzie was holding up proudly. 

Kenzie’s voice raised and she stepped forward a little closer for emphasis, “My dad is so tough!” 

**********************************************************************************************

_Dave pressed his back harder against the bathroom cabinet, he was splayed out and it seemed like his body had just given out on him. He leaned forward and pressed against his eyes roughly with the ball of his thumb attempting to shake the sadness? No, the all consuming numbness.”_

_His body ached and even though he felt like he had slept way too much, he was still so tired that it was difficult to keep his eyes open. It was getting better but some days the depression still felt like quicksand, sucking up all the life, happiness, and energy that he had left.”_

_There was a soft knock on the door which shocked him out of his stupor, “Yeah?”_

_Klaus’ face peaked inside and a rush of shame shot through Dave’s chest and made him look away. His boyfriend didn’t seem to notice and instead came inside, shutting the door behind with a soft click._

_A moment later he was next to him on the floor, his knees pulled up against his chest, watching him with a concerned expression._

_Dave sighed, “I’m sorry - I’m just having a bad day…”_

_“I get it. Trust me.” Klaus watched him for a few more moments and honestly, Dave had no idea what he was doing or what his boyfriend was wanting._

_Finally, Klaus placed a soft palm against his bare arm, “Why don’t you let me help you to bed? Get you under those cozy, cozy blankets - we can wait this out.” Then he added, more seriously than Dave was used to hearing from his boyfriend, “And if you need help - Just tell me and we can figure something out.”_

_Dave couldn’t help but scoff at this, “I’m already late getting around and at this rate…” he lifted his hand but then just dropped it to his thigh._

_“Well, we win some, we lose some… What I mean is - it’s a bitch, I know but you can just relax for a bit. We’ll wait, when you start feeling better we’ll be right here.”_

_“You were up all night, David - you’re exhausted.”_

_He pressed a kiss against Dave’s bare shoulder and left it there for a moment. “Just let me take care of you… That would make me so hot - you have no idea.” He tempted._

_Dave couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head, “Okay, fine… If it’ll get you off…” He conceded and Klaus kissed his shoulder again._

_Klaus stood up and helped Dave up, treating him like he was sick even though it was all in his head. He felt so weak in that moment but when Klaus pulled his shirt over his head and kissed his nose, there was not a single ounce of pity or judgement in his eyes._

_He tugged the shirt the rest of the way on and tried to flash a smile, Klaus wrapped an arm around his torso and began to lead him to the bedroom, “Come on, sexy man - Let’s get you some sleep, let your man take care of things for a while.”_

_Klaus wasn’t kidding, and soon Dave found himself back under the covers in their darkened room, no phone, no loud noises, just him trying to sleep past these feelings - through the memories that had tortured him all night, Dave did feel like he was in good hands._

_He was dozing on and off when he heard a faint voice from the other side of the door, “Okay- but be quick, he’s trying to get some sleep.”_

_The door cracked open a moment later and Kenzie’s little face poked in, she tiptoed inside and Dave leaned up on his elbow._

_“I’m sorry…” She said a little shyly and that just constricted his heart even more._

_“Don’t apologize - I’m always happy to see you. What’s going on?” He said, his voice rough with sleep._

_She walked up and held out a homemade card, it was a piece of light blue construction paper folded in half. Scrawled in big red letters, slightly diagonally, were the words “Get well soon!” Then tacked on in the corner like she ran out of room was “Dave.”_

_He took it, “Oh my god…” He reached out and flipped on the lamp, opening the card. Inside, over both sides, was a variety of flowers, grass, and a few ladybugs, scrawled in with crayon. In the corner was a big yellow sun.”_

_Dave legitimately smiled then pressed it against his chest, “This is exactly what I needed… Thank you so much, Kenzie.”_

_She smiled proudly then leaned in like she was going to tell him a secret, “I told momma to order some special soup and not make it. You’re welcome.”_

_He snorted, “You’ve always got my back.”_

_“Yup!” She gave him a quick hug then ran out of the room._

_Dave looked at the card one more time, then set it up on his bedside table with the picture facing the bed. He turned off the lamp and rested for the rest of the day, only hearing a few concerning crashes and sounds coming from the rest of the house._

**********************************************************************************************

“--and I know that he won’t let anything happen to me.”

Dave felt lightheaded as she continued talking. Klaus must have noticed this because at this sentence he leaned back and grabbed Dave’s hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. 

She moved to the next page and Dave felt a painful lump in his throat that made it hard to swallow and so hard to watch her as she continued her presentation. He kept glancing over at Klaus who was beaming proudly at his little girl, still filming every moment. But occasionally he would look over at Dave and give him an encouraging wink. 

“My dad is very brave. My momma says that he’s got medals because he was so brave. But I don’t need to see the medals because I already know that he’s not afraid of anything.”

“He’s not afraid of storms even when they are big...”

**********************************************************************************************

_An explosion surrounding him from all sides sent Dave careening forward, gripping onto his head and curling up for safety._

_“GET DOWN! GET DOWN! GET DOWN!” A voice echoed through his head, overwhelming his senses ._

_His eyes darted around him and the world warped – flashes of gun fire and a dead man next to him sent jolts of adrenaline and panic painfully through his body. He inhaled and clawed at the dusty ground finding it bunched up in his fists – soft and smelling of fabric softener._

_He forced himself to breath and as he did so the image around him cleared – the vision warbling between a memory that just wouldn’t go away and a severely darkened room. His vision clouded with spots as he tried to compose himself and remember where he was at – he reached over desperately patting at the space next to him in the bed, his mind foggy and immediately thinking that Klaus might be panicking in the darkness as well. His hand fell against nothing but cold sheets and he remembered that Klaus was working that night._

_Dave nearly fell out of bed at the sound of a terrified scream that pierced through the massive storm. He stood up despite the trembling in his legs and staggered out of the bedroom, attempting to flip the light on with no luck as he passed the door frame. He moved blindly into the darkened apartment, his fingers brushing against the wall, moving forward as fast as he could._

_Another clap of thunder rattled the walls which was immediately followed by a close crack of lightning bombarded his senses. The storm’s wrath was followed by another shriek of terror, closer this time and by the time he made it to the kitchen, Kenzie collided with him – nearly knocking him off his feet. The five-year-old clung to his leg and screamed again, her body was hot, and his skin was burning through his pajama pants._

_He reached down and picked her up, pressing her firmly against his shoulder as she screamed again at the next clap of thunder. He didn’t blame her for this reaction, the storm had knocked out the power and was violently churning on top of them, sending sheets of rain into the windows and electrifying the air._

_“Kenzie- Just breath, it’s just a storm. It’s going to be okay.”_

_Big talk coming from the guy who wanted nothing more than to hide under the table and cover his ears until it was over. Maybe not the man who should be taking care of a child during a storm as every rattle of the walls constricted his chest and sent bolts of painful panic down his spine. But Klaus wasn’t here and if Ben was, he wasn’t corporeal._

_“Momma!” She grabbed onto his shirt and tried to shake him, ”Momma’s outside! In the storm! Momma’s in the storm! We have to- Have to –“ She curled up against his chest, still fisting the fabric of his tank top, “MOMMA!”_

_“It’s okay. It’s okay - Momma’s fine. Shh… Shh…”_

_Klaus was fine, just holed up in a hotel on the other side of town. And it took a little while but eventually Kenzie stopped panicking. She was currently sitting on the window seat staring out into the raging storm, lit candles and blankets surrounded her, casting soft light against the walls._

_“I’m going to get us some drinks, okay, Kenz’?_

_She glanced back at him with big worried eyes, “Don’t go too far…”_

_He smiled and ruffled her hair slightly, “I’m just going in the next room, I promise.”_

_He took a flashlight and went into the kitchen, a moment later he was bent over the counter, he let out a shaky exhale and ground his teeth together. He raised his hands up and watched as they trembled violently out of his control. He squeezed his fists and pressed them against his chest, inhaling and exhaling to a slow rhythm._

_A light scratching sound next to him made him open one eye to see the planchette on the ouija board they kept on the island for when Klaus was gone, moving slowly across the surface. It stopped on “U” then it moved to a “O” then finally “K”_

_Dave nodded, “Yeah, yeah - I’m okay - Sorry.” He flashed the most reassuring smile he could muster to where he could only assume that Ben was standing, “Don’t worry, I got this.”_

_He shook himself out then after giving up on glasses, just grabbed a carton of milk and two plastic cups. When he got back to the other room, Kenzie was on the edge of the seat staring in the direction he had left._

_“Told you I’d be back soon -” He handed her a cup then with some difficulty poured some milk into it, followed up by his own._

_Soon they were both sitting at the window seat with their drinks gazing into the darkened city below as the storm raged on just past their safety glass pane. Kenzie was tucked under his arm watching as the wind howled and the lighting snapped across the horizon. On her lap, the Rot-rot doll clattered, making a sound like a cartoonish teeth chattering bit._

_They watched together as the storm slowly began to roll out and finally Kenzie fell asleep under his arm while he monitored the night until finally the lights came back on._

**********************************************************************************************

  
Kenzie finally looked up at the audience, her eyes falling on Dave for a brief moment as if gaging his reaction, 

“Or spiders. Or the bogeyman. He’s not scared of anything at all.”

She turned to the last page, “My dad is my important person because I don’t want him to go away.”

“And someday I would like to be as strong and as brave as my dad.” She flipped the book closed and presented the back cover, “I love my dad.”

She bowed and the audience clapped as they had done for every child but Dave was sitting forward with a hand covering his mouth. Klaus rubbed his tense shoulder sweetly as he attempted not to crumble in the middle of the audience. 

“That was all her - She wanted to surprise you.” 

Dave had to wait patiently as the last child finished their presentation then the whole class lined up and took a bow. With one last pause to allow everyone to get their pictures all of the family began to spill out of the uncomfortable little plastic seats to see their child. 

Dave wandered forward in a sort of emotional daze only to realize after a moment that Klaus and Ben had lagged behind, he moved forward until he found Kenzie waiting nervously off to the side of a few families. He didn’t know what to say - but he was overwhelmed by something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. 

She looked up and tugged on the edges of her beanie, “Dave, I was wondering if I could call you ‘dad’?

He knelt down to her level, “Kenzie - I would be honored.”

She walked up and hugged his neck tightly. He pulled her against his chest and squeezed her close, standing up and shifting her to his hip. “I need you to know that was the best thing I’ve ever gotten in my life. Those medals I got? They don’t mean nothing to me - being your dad is the most important thing I’ve ever done, hands down.”

She smiled, “I love you, dad!”

He hugged her again, “I love you, Kenzie.” he grinned, feeling like he had the sun in his chest for the first time in his life. 

They looked over to see Klaus standing with his hand over his heart and his head tilted to the side in awe. Next to him, Ben was standing with an encouraging smile. When they were spotted they jogged over to them. 

Klaus opened his arms, “That was beautiful!”

Dave moved to him and without thinking used his free hand to bring his boyfriend close and kiss him proudly, Klaus kissed back, pulling an arm around his back. When they broke apart Klaus opened his eyes and then pressed a kiss to Kenzie’s cheek, “Muah! I’m so proud of you!”

“We’re so proud of you!” Ben interjected, being pulled into the huddle until he was squished between his brother and Kenzie on Dave’s hip. They hugged as a weird little family, earning several confused glances from the families around them. 

After a few moments, Dave dropped his head against Klaus’ chest with a comfortable sigh and he felt his boyfriend reach up and run his fingers through his short hair and for a moment it was like they were the only two people in the room. Klaus opened his mouth and whispered against his ear as if he was reading his mind, “You deserve so much love, David… or should I say ‘dad’?”

**********************************************************************************************

A very important person. By Kenzie Grace Hargreeves. That’s me.  
A very important person to me. Is my dad. I have two dads-  
A momma dad and a dad dad – I’m talking about my dad.  
My dad is a firefighter and he is very strong. He teaches me about fire safety.  
My dad knows a lot about a lot of things and is good at fixing broken things.  
It’s because my dad likes to read books. Big books with lots of pages and cool pictures. My momma calls him a nerd, but I like his stories.  
He has a cool tattoo and I like when he draws with me.  
He’s the best cook  
That's just some things that I like about my dad,  
My dad always takes care of my momma.  
When he’s sick…  
And also, when he’s just fine!  
My momma is very happy when he’s around and that makes me happy too.  
My dad is so tough and I know that he won’t let anything happen to me.  
My dad is very brave. My momma says that he’s got medals because he was so brave. But I don’t need to see the medals because I already know that he’s not afraid of anything.  
He’s not afraid of storms even when they are big...  
Or spiders.  
Or the bogeyman  
He’s not scared of anything at all  
My dad is my important person because I don’t want him to go away  
And someday I would like to be as strong and as brave as my dad.  
I love my dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone needs to stage an intervention about my addiction to flashback scenes. It's gotten out of control and I apologize :)


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenzie's first day of school: Part 1   
> Klaus is handling this great. So good. Also, he tells Dave the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys! I can't believe all the sweet comments from last chapter - they mean the fucking world to me!!! This chapter is a part 1 - the next one will be same day just from Ben's perspective. I wanted to have it back and forth like I've done before but it would have been a massive chapter and I wanted to focus on everybody. I hope that you guys enjoy!! Thank you so much for reading!!

“How are we feeling today, pumpkin?” Klaus stood on the edge of the school with Kenzie holding his hand. She was 5 years old and it was her first day of 1st grade - after having a unique schooling schedule due to her tendency to start fires the chief (And her aunt) had signed off on getting her into public school.

It was a relatively small school that had been pre-approved by the fire department and Kenzie had already met her teacher and the other school staff members at the open house. That day she had been brimming with excitement, barely able to focus on anything but getting her backpack perfect and picking out her first day outfits. 

Honestly, Klaus had been excited for her - they were going through the classic back-to-school routine and it was really fun. All this even though he may have been the one pushing to keep her in homeschooling until 2nd grade. 

She looked up at him, then back to the doors of the elementary school which had been so inviting the first time they visited, they looked more foreboding now. 

“I don’t think I’m ready for- to go to school yet.” She stated factually.

“Aw, pumpkin - It’s okay to be nervous, this is a big day!”

At this she turned and grabbed onto his arm with both hands, “I need another year. Please!”

He took a step forward and she tried to pull him back towards the car where Dave and Ben were watching them. “Do you remember all those fun books and activities they showed you last week? You don’t want to miss out on all of that, do you?”

Her face was twisting up like she was about to cry and she tugged on his sleeve, starting to lower to the ground. “But Uncle Ben can do all that!”

“Uncle Ben’s not that good of an artist - I promise you - Come here, sweetie…” He leaned down and just picked her up as she tried to crumple to the sidewalk. “You’re gonna do great! You’re gonna have so much fun!” 

“I want to go home!” She held onto him but continued to try to pull away back towards the car. 

Klaus took a deep breath and walked her into the school with much difficulty - his chest was constricting and every time she would whimper against him he felt his heart break a little bit. 

Every worry ever was pounding through his head, whether it was the fact that she could light on fire if she lost control or if the pins they put in her hair to keep her beanie on would hold and keep her horns hidden to the more basic ‘what if kids are mean to her’ or what if this teacher isn’t as nice as she seems. 

Also, Klaus had taken the day off, thinking that he would need it to recover and he just realized that left him with nothing to do but wait and worry all day as he experienced the day without his daughter for basically the first time in her life. That, in retrospect, was a dumbass idea. 

Inside the pleasantly decorated elementary school Kenzie’s spirits didn’t raise even as Klaus talked her through the hallway and into her classroom. Her teacher, Mrs. Kelly opened her arms out wide as they came inside (only a couple minutes late) “Good morning! Hi, Kenzie! We’re so happy to have you here!”

She hid her face in his shoulder and Klaus made a face at the teacher, “She’s uh- having some second thoughts.”

Mrs. Kelly gave him an encouraging smile and clasped her hands, “That happens all the time, I promise you.”

She moved closer, “Kenzie? Hi! We’re going to have so much fun today! I am so excited to get to know you!”

When that didn’t get any response, Klaus just had to shift her away from his shoulder, “Okay, pumpkin, showtime!” He tried to set her down and she immediately started crying, clinging onto him tighter and curling her legs up away from the floor.

He straightened back up to alleviate some of the strain on his spine then dipped down again, “You’re going to do great!” This time he remained there with her legs kicking off the floor as he attempted to pry her fingers off his shoulder. Internally, as she started crying harder, he was repeating the age-old mantra – you know, the classic one; ‘please don’t light on fire, please don’t light on fire…’

Mrs. Kelly stepped in and helped him untangle from the five-year old’s death grip- opening her fingers and dragging her back down to the floor. For what it was worth, she seemed pretty unphased by this behavior and just continued to reassure both father and child that everything was going to be okay. 

“Momma, please don’t leave me!” Kenzie gripped painfully onto his hand and he had to slowly rip his fingers away as the teacher kept her in one place. 

“I will be back to pick you up so soon, pumpkin.”

Klaus backed away and his eyes flashed in desperation to the teacher for any help, she gave him a sympathetic smile even as she held onto the crying child, “She’ll calm down after you leave, it’s going to be okay, mom.”

He nodded and blew a quick kiss to his daughter, “I love you, pumpkin - I’ll see you soon!” His voice cracked and he stumbled backwards out the door. He shuffled down the hallway and then leaned over against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut as a pained whine escaped his throat.

****************************************************************************************

“There he is…” Dave started the car as he saw Klaus finally exiting the school, this time without Kenzie. 

Ben was in the seat behind him and they had been chatting off and on, speculating on what had been taking so long. Klaus’ face was unreliable as he walked slowly down the sidewalk towards them. 

The driver leaned back, “5 minutes.”

Ben snorted and shook his head, “That’s adorable, David. But take this seriously.” He slapped the shoulders of the driver’s seat, “1 minute. Tops.”

Dave glanced back at him with a smirk after solidifying their bet then waited patiently as Klaus got settled into the car. His boyfriend didn’t look at him, only stared ahead and pulled his seatbelt on.

“How did it go?” Dave asked tentatively. 

Klaus exhaled, “Fine, fine - I think we picked a lovely teacher. Mrs. Kelly seems so creative.”

From the backseat, Ben listed off just under his breath, “32...33...34..”

“I- uh - think Kenz’ is going to have a really great time here.” he nodded curtly, still not looking at the rest of the car. 

Dave watched him with apprehension, “That’s good…”

“Yeah, yeah - It’s great...”

“54, 55, 56…”

“It’s fantastic!” Klaus snapped and doubled over with a long drawn out whine, curling his legs up and covering his face with the palms of his hands. A choked sob escaped, and he sniffled softly into his hands. 

Ben sat back triumphantly, “There it is.”

Dave glanced back at Ben and started rubbing Klaus’ back, “Sweetheart…”

“She’s fucking miserable, Dave!” He said through his hands, “She thinks I abandoned her…”

Klaus let out a muffled scream through his fingers.

The driver shook his head, “I guarantee you, she does not - She’s just having first day jitters and it’s worse for her since she hasn’t had any experience with school at all - She’s probably already gotten distracted by all the other kids and things to do.”

Klaus was rocking back and forth lightly, “I hate this so much…”

Dave pressed a kiss onto his shoulder, “I know you do.”

Ben sighed and opened the back door, “Well, have fun with that, Dave - I’ll see you guys in 8 hours.”

“Where are you going?”

Ben leaned into the driver’s side window, “I told Alvarez I’d stick around - Don’t worry I’m staying out of her sight. She needs to do this on her own.” He glanced at his brother who had uncurled and was now staring straight ahead with a dead look in his eyes, “Plus, I figured you two were going to have weird sad sex all day and I don’t want be anywhere near that.”

He patted Dave’s shoulder and walked towards the school, gradually losing his corporeal nature until he was once again invisible as he phased through the front doors.

Dave sighed and looked over to where his forlorn boyfriend had brought his knees up to his chest and was glowering out the window, pointedly not looking at the elementary building. He pulled something out of his pocket then held up a pack of cigarettes, “Mind if I?”

“Go ahead.”

Klaus shakily lit the tip and took a long heavy drag of smoke, he closed his eyes and exhaled with a cough. It was painful to see the way his lips and hands trembled even as he fell back on the old habit. Dave reached over and took Klaus’ free hand, his boyfriend reacted by leaning over against him and taking another drag.

“I know it hurts but she’s going to be okay.”

Klaus whined in response, a few more tears escaping from his eyes and dampening Dave’s shoulder. Internally, Dave knew that Kenzie was going to be okay- he was more worried about his boyfriend’s state of mind.

“I had an idea for the day, I think you might need it.”

Klaus turned his head to look at him sideways, “Are you going to put me out of my misery?” he asked hopefully.

“No, not that - but I think it will be good for you anyway. Besides, we don’t get to have days just to ourselves very often and I’ve got someplace I’ve been wanting to take you.”

Klaus briefly looked at him and then nodded, “Yeah – yeah, let’s go before I go back and kidnap her...”

************************************************************

“A hiking trail… Really, David?” Klaus unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out into the small parking lot and shut the door. 

They had been driving about thirty minutes to this place which Dave had been reluctant to give any details about.

Klaus glanced down at his flimsy sandals, “Not sure- I’ve got the right equipment…”

Dave met him a moment later with a proud smile, “Don’t need any - this is just a little walking trail but Its got a surprise at the end.” He held out his hand, “Listen, if we go home now, we both know that you’ll just end up miserable - when have I ever steered you wrong.”

Klaus sighed and took his hand, “Fine… But only ‘cause you’re pretty.”

Recreational hiking was obviously never a hobby of Klaus’, as kids him and his siblings had done plenty of ‘reconnaissance’ and survival training on a piece of wooded land that their father owned but that didn’t exactly endear him to the activity. Also, even at that, where Luther and Diego would go full stupid outdoorsmen, Klaus usually ended up hiding somewhere in a tree with Ben until the fake warfare was over. 

But as soon as they got down the trail and were fully enveloped in nature, he saw the way Dave’s shoulders relaxed and he inhaled the fresh air. Klaus watched as his blue eyes scanned the trees and took in the sights - so maybe, hiking wasn’t exactly Klaus’ forte - watching Dave was a good enough reason to love the woods. 

To his credit, Dave was right, the new scenery did help get Klaus’ mind off the shitshow that morning and the way he felt like someone had ripped out his heart, stomped on it then tried to shove it’s mangled remains back into his ribs. Also, there was no ghosts as far as he could tell, he never had to banish anything, and the soft sounds of the forest were never marred by moans or screams. It was nice. 

It felt like a sweet date that you would go on if you were a normal teenager, in puppy love - holding hands and pointing out the sights - sneaking in small kisses as they walked. Klaus was enjoying himself plenty even as they reached the end where the trail ballooned out around a waterfall and small body of water. 

“See, I told you this place was a gem.” Dave was staring at him as he took in the sight of the cascading water down a natural rock formation. 

There was a bench next to the scene and they settled there, it was close enough that they had to talk over the sound of the water, but they were also sprayed lightly by the fresh spring water. They sat there for a while, holding hands like lovestruck teenagers or an old couple just watching the water. 

If this was a few years ago, Klaus would have found this terribly boring, and overdone but now he found it charming and he enjoyed watching how the landscape captivated Dave and his eyes gleamed in the soft mist of the waterfall. 

“How are you doing?”

Klaus scoffed, rolling his head against Dave’s shoulder and watching the water trickle down over the rocks, “I wish she would have pulled my lungs out - dunked them in salt then shove ‘em back into my gaping chest - It would have been less painful.”

“That bad, huh?”

“She said - and I quote - ‘Momma, please don’t leave me.’”

Dave cringed, “Ouch.”

Klaus nodded slowly, “You know…” He trailed off. 

“What?”

Klaus’ heart thrummed in his chest “I tried to abandon her. When she was first born - I tried to leave her at the police station.” He admitted with an exhale,

“Guess, I’m having flashbacks to that brilliant decision I almost made – and when she said that, I Imagined that tiny little potato face looking up at me as I put her on the concrete and just walked away.” Klaus’ face twisted and for a moment it looked like he might cry again.

Dave turned from the waterfall to look at his boyfriend, “You never told me that…”

“Yeah. Not my proudest moment.”

Dave seemed to be processing this information, his face was hard to read and Klaus realized how stupid it was to bring this up now.

“Honestly, I’m having a hard time believing that you would do that.”

“If you had met me 5 and some months ago - you wouldn’t be surprised. I mean, it’s not exactly like I’m actually cut out for being a father.” He scoffed, “That shit never came naturally to me - And I didn’t even want to have a child… I mean, I’m happy now that I went back for her but back then I—”

Klaus seemed to shrink away – “I’ll never forgive myself and sometimes I think that somewhere, deep, deep down in her subconscious, she remembers that night.”

“Doesn’t come naturally to you?” Dave started skeptically, “K, you were _sobbing_ this morning – That’s not something that you can fake.”

They fell silent for several moments before Dave spoke up, “I’m glad you told me that.”

Klaus huffed, “You should’ve known earlier…”

“What matters is that you went back for her - that’s where your character comes in. What separates a person from their vices and the man they truly are.”

Dave pulled him closer and Klaus practically melted into him – the weight of admitting that lifting off his shoulders. “You’re sweet…”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hm?”

“You know I don’t want to pry but - is her mother alive?”

Klaus laughed and squeezed Dave’s thigh, “Hoo-Boy, do I have a story for you…”

“Ah – She came from hell – As far as I know, directly from Hell or some variant of that place.”

Dave blinked, “So… what? She was on meth or something?”

Klaus swallowed, “Not exactly…”

He told him the story – something which only he and Ben had known about previously. He told him all the gritty details and the visit, the conversation he had with Satan and the resulting appearance of Kenzie on Halloween night.

To his credit, Dave’s face barely changed as the story went on until finally Klaus tossed his hand up with finality, “I stole some formula then went through a bitch of withdrawals. And that’s how I became a father…”

Dave leaned forward and rubbed his face as Klaus fell silent. Klaus could literally feel his own body recoiling at the fear of telling someone else this story – not even his own brother or sisters – but his boyfriend. No matter how much he trusted him or loved him, this felt like a stupid idea.

He half expected some sort of denial or skepticism from the other man – what he didn’t expect was for Dave cover his face and start laughing. Klaus watched him in confusion as he continued to belly laugh for a while until he finally sat back with a long “Hooooo- man – okay, yeah, okay.”

“Well, that’s not what I expected…”

Dave caught his breath, “Look, I’m sorry – It’s so terrible what happened to you and I’m so sorry you wanted to die – I’ve been there, and I know how awful that is.” He put a hand up, “I do want to go back to that but Kenzie? It’s just _of course_ she’s a real demon! Why does that make so much sense!?”

Klaus watched him skeptically, “Does that scare you?”

Dave laughed again, “Klaus, last week I had to pull an invisible creature out of the cheerio box and I’m pretty sure it started biting me because now I’ve got these weird fish hickeys up my arm.”

“I had to help Kenzie get untangled after her blanket fort collapsed and her horn poked a hole in the fabric and got caught in the yarn – sweetheart, we are way past fear at this point – This has just become my life.”

Klaus stared at him with wide eyes.

“I have a harder time believing, based on who you are, that you tried to leave her than that she came from some sort of hell dimension.”

“I’m in way too deep for something like this to be the tipping point – is what I’m saying.” He looked down, “Plus, I may not understand everything, but I mean, it’s Kenzie – it doesn’t matter where she came from – I’m just happy she’s here and I’m happy that she’s yours.”

A long, deep whine escaped from Klaus throat as he took in the other man’s words and did the first thing that came into his mind which was to climb onto Dave’s lap and pull him into a bruising passionate kiss. Dave’s hands flew up to balance him and he returned the kiss with just as much desperate fervor.

When they finally broke apart Klaus was gasping and Dave reached up and pulled his thumb over the other’s man’s bottom lip with a soft chuckle, “Baby, I’m not going anywhere – I promise.”

********************************************************************

“You’re a little early, don’t you think?”

Klaus looked up from where he had been waiting against the cool walls of the elementary school to see Liev and Ben walking up to him. He had to do a double take since the firefighter wasn’t in their work clothes and instead was wearing casual attire – which wasn’t all that odd except for the fact that they looked like they had been in a fight.

One sleeve of their blouse was torn and hanging off, there was dirt and grime all over their pants and they just in general seemed to be disheveled.

“Oh?” Klaus asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

“Sophie had me do some monitoring to make sure everything went smoothly today.”

Klaus blinked in confusion, “I don’t understand – did the children mug you or?”

They snorted, “I’ll let Ben fill you in – I better get out of here before the fireball gets suspicious.”

Ben nodded and walked past his brother with the firefighter, “Same – I’ll meet you in the car.”

Liev turned around, continuing to walk backwards, “Oh! By the way, we bagged you a new piece of furniture – it’s all strapped up in the back. You might need Soph’s truck to get it since Dave sold out for the soccer mom car.” They winked, leaving Klaus just more confused than before the conversation started.

He would just have to ask later – now he was still filled to the brim with anxiety.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon….” Klaus’ leg bounced impatiently as he waited for the clock to chime 3:30 – The minutes were lagging by at a snail’s pace and he just wanted nothing more than to see his daughter after this exhausting day.

By the time the bell finally rang he felt like collapsing against the wall, other parents were showing up as the kids were let out of the classroom and they fanned out to find their families on the first day.

Klaus waited with bated breath until finally, at the back of the line Kenzie came out of the room with her beanie and her little backpack. She had a big smile on her face and when she saw her father, she bolted towards him, backpack swinging wildly against her shoulders.

Klaus bit his lip and dropped to his knees as she barreled into him with enough gusto to nearly topple him over, he grabbed her and held on tightly – “Holy shit – I missed you so much…” He said, earning a fee dissatisfied looks from the other parents.

He pulled her back and looked at her, “How was your day?”

“It was good! I missed you too…”

“It was good? Oh, I’m so happy…” He cupped her face with his HELLO palm, “You know I’m always going to come back for you, right? I would never leave you – I don’t want you to ever think that.”

She thought about it for a moment then nodded, “I know.”

He hugged her again, “I’m so proud of you – Now, come on- everyone’s waiting to hear what happened today –“ He took her hand only to flip it over when he felt something, “Is that a band-aid? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay – The paper cut me but it’s not that bad.” She held up her index finger which had a princess band-aid wrapped around it.

“Hmm.. Okay- muah!” He gave it a quick kiss then they hurried out the front doors.

As they reached the sidewalk, Ben and Dave got out of the car. Her uncle was the first one to bolt around the vehicle and run up to them. Kenzie met him halfway in a big hug.

He squished her against his chest, “First day of school done! How was it?!”

“Good! They said – Mrs. Kelly said that I’m a very good reader!”

“That’s amazing! Did they give you any books to read at home?”

She nodded.

He grinned, “I can’t wait to see them – maybe you can read one to me tonight?”

“Yeah! I can read them to you! After dinner though – I’m hungry but after I will!”

“I can imagine! You’ve had a big day.”

He moved out of the way and Kenzie immediately ran over to where Dave was waiting patiently by the car – she tackled him and he picked her up and swung her around a few time as she giggled, he put her down with an exaggerated, “oof!”

“Hey, 1st grader – You kick some butt today?”

“Yeah!”

“Alright!” He held up his hand and she high fived him as hard as she could, “I knew you would. I can’t wait to hear about everything that happened today.”

She hugged him and ran towards the backseat of the car, Klaus stopped her with a soft smile, “Ah-ah, are you forgetting something?”

She thought about it for a moment then her face lit up with recognition and she turned back towards the elementary building, she jumped up and waved, “Bye-bye, school! Thank you for teaching me! Love you!”

“That’s my girl…”

She got into the backseat just as Dave opened the driver’s side. Klaus sighed tiredly and Dave leaned over towards him and winked.

“You’re a natural.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So- just fun fact- I actually skipped my first two grades just like Kenzie and when I had to go to 1st grade - I had basically the same reaction Lmao which Is why I even wanted to add this chapter XD


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenzie's 1st day of school: Part 2   
> Ben actually doing pretty well - no for real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I was debating on even adding this chapter but I was basically already done with it and even though it kind of happens all on it's own I still wanted to include it because I wanted some Ben shenanigans! I always worry that I'm adding enough Ben so this was sort of his own little adventure! It's a little different but I hope that you guys enjoy it anyway! Thank you so much for reading! We'll be on track next chapter for sure! (Probably ;) )

Ben had already done several rounds through the elementary school by the time he moved back to Kenzie’s classroom, peaking through the door window cautiously, attempting to stay out of her line of sight. He had wandered off after watching Kenzie’s initial introductions and the desk cleanup process they had started practicing.

Kenzie, whether she knew it or not, deserved her independence and he knew that. For all of Ben’s teasing of his brother for being such a basket case, he was struggling with this separation in his own way – who was he without Kenzie, the child he had been taking care of and teaching for the past 5 years? He dreaded the idea of fading back into obscurity every day between 8 and 3:30- having to fall back onto just seeing what kind of dumb shit his brother was going to get into while waiting for Kenzie to get back home. It left him feeling empty.

Ben stared inside at all the children; Kenzie was off to the side with her assignment - it looked like maybe a paper prompt from a story -- she was staring at it with a pout. There were other children like her, who were obviously struggling with being at school while others were more of a handful for the teachers.

Ben internally pushed for her to lean over and just talk to the kid next to her - he wanted her to start making friends so badly and stop looking so out of place because it just broke his heart. 

He heard the soft squeak of tennis shoes on the waxed tile flooring and he looked up, moving away from the window so that Kenzie wouldn’t catch a glimpse of him. He huffed, a light smile coming over his features as he saw Liev walking towards him. They had ditched the fire fighter shirt and were in casual blouse and jeans making them blend in well with the environment. 

Ben thought that they actually looked like one of the teachers; they were certainly intelligent enough to be a teacher. He daydreamed about that for a moment, watching as they moved past him and in the same strategy that he had been employing, glanced into the window, their eyes scanning over the room before they turned away and leaned against the wall. 

It was so frustrating that they couldn’t see him - and it didn’t feel right sticking around without them knowing so after searching the environment he walked over to an empty trashcan. Using as much energy as he could muster, he pushed the light plastic over and it tumbled down with a thump and a crinkling of plastic bags. 

Liev’s head snapped towards the fallen can and their arms uncrossed, they walked over to it and put their hand out as if testing for a breeze. After setting it back up, they smirked, “Just couldn’t stay away could you? Does the fireball know you’re here? Once for yes, twice for no.”

Ben slammed his fist against the wall next to him twice - the result was a barely audible ‘tap - tap’ sound. 

They nodded, “That’s probably for the best- Sophie’s real nervous about this whole thing, for one she could accidentally hurt someone or get hurt by showing her powers and if there is an incident it would be nearly impossible to keep it under wraps. But I think that she’s ready.”

Ben slapped the wall once. “I agree, we’ve got to trust her - she doesn’t deserve to be hidden away just because we’re scared.” he said, but of course it wasn’t registered to the undercover firefighter. 

Liev actually seemed to be staring close to where his face was, and he knew, as always, they were trying to treat him like a living person even if it seemed like they were talking to air. They nodded, “I’m glad you’re here…” They paused for a moment then added quickly with a chuckle, “One kid’s fine but I can’t promise I won’t turn tail and run like hell if a hoard of them come after me.”

Ben laughed and smacked the wall once.

He moved back to the window as they heard a small commotion coming from inside the classroom - nothing crazy but it seemed like it was almost time for lunch so the teacher and her assistant were announcing instructions and beginning to collect the children’s sheets of paper. 

Ben’s parental (Uncle?) instincts kicked in as he watched with concern as Kenzie accidentally cut herself on the edge of the paper. In contrast to her usual response, she just grabbed her hand and looked at it - her eyes scanning nervously, obviously too shy to get a hold of one of the teachers. 

Ben put his hand on the window, “Get someone, sweetheart...” He murmured - willing one of the teachers to see that she was bleeding. It didn’t take very long until Mrs. Kelly saw the injury and quickly helped clean her up and put a band aid over the tiny cut. She then used a disinfectant wipe to wash away the drop of blood that had dripped onto the table. 

The teacher patted her head and told her that everything was going to be okay before leaving her to start herding all the students into a line for lunch. Ben watched in horror as the point on the table where her blood had been a moment before started to bubble up with a reddish black goo. 

Kenzie saw it too and she looked around in worry as a spindly, boney hand reached up from the small portal. He saw her mouth, “Uh- oh” and try to push it back down but the thing just pushed past her hand. The teacher walked up and Kenzie looked like she was about to start crying again, her eyes nervously shifting to the blood portal opening up, “I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, Kenzie – nothing that a band aid can’t fix, right? Now, come on – It’s time for lunch, are you hungry?”

The teacher couldn’t see the gurgling reddish goo bubbling up in a small circle on the table and she took Kenzie’s hand and led her away, the child staring between the portal and the teacher in confusion before finally just finding her place in line. 

A strange bat-like winged arm shot up and gripped the edge of the surface before a twisted, unformed red face stuck up and screeched just as Kenzie was led out to lunch. 

Ben bolted through the wall into a closet, “Shit…” 

******************************************************************************

By the time that Liev heard the commotion, Ben was already in the emptied classroom watching in horror as a new blood fiend finished forming and dragging itself out of the portal. This one didn’t look anything like Rot-rot, in fact it was winged and more resembled one of those really ugly fruit bats except with claws on one appendage and a bulbous growth coming from the side of its chest area. 

This thing made Rot-rot look like a teddy bear and it seemed like it was made for the purpose of fighting something but it didn’t have anything to fight so it was just wrecking shit. Flapping around and leaving triple scratches against any surface it slammed against. 

Liev ripped the door open to see what the hell was going on and their eyes scanned the destruction that was happening at that moment, but they couldn’t see the blood fiend and it probably looked more like a tacky poltergeist fishing line trick. They shut the door behind them and their body adjusted into an action pose - ready to fight but having no clue what they were fighting. 

“We have to get it into something - this thing’s dangerous.” Ben rapt on the wall 5 times as hard as he could. 

“Is this something Kenzie did?”

Knock. 

“What like that creepy-ass doll thing? Same thing as that?”

Ben thought about it for a moment, “Eh- It’s worse.” He knocked once anyway. 

“I fucking told Jessie that thing was looking at me…” Liev stalked to the edge of the classroom, their expression sharp and alert. In an inspired move that just warmed Ben’s heart for some reason, they grabbed a green marker and started to quickly fill in a large square surface on the dry erase board. “How do I get rid of it?”

Ben ran over to the board and dragged his finger through the marker, creating a white mark as it was erased by the little ghostly energy that he could muster. He wrote “CAPTURE.”

“What, like in anything?”

Knock.

They shrugged, “Okay, then…” They ran to the large windows that lined the back wall and began pulling the screens up - the bright afternoon sun shining in harshly to the room. 

“Damn…” Ben mumbled as he saw the light shadow that was now being cast as the blood fiend flew past the windows giving Liev just enough visual context to do something. They moved to a wooden cabinet with large wooden drawers and opened the top one

“Chase it toward me!”

Ben bolted to the other side of the room and started clapping at the bat like fiend in the corner and it shrieked and flapped violently the other direction. He jumped up on another table and started it shooing it as loudly as he could towards where Liev was waiting with the open desk. 

Rather than the desired effect the angry blood fiend collided with the firefighter who was thrown backwards over the desk and into the wall.

“Shit! Sorry!”

Unable to see what they were fighting as it began attacking the human in earnest, Liev just started slapping the air in front of them as hard as they could. Impacting with the creature in the face which only succeeded in making it angrier – it flew up and grabbed onto their short hair, tugging upwards.

Ben ran over and jumped onto the edge of the dresser and jumped up, gripping the wings and then tumbling backwards. In opposition to his desired effect, the wings simply ripped off and the fiend dove away with a startled shriek, pulling Liev forward on top of Ben. They went straight threw them and jumped as freezing cold air shot through their body.

“Thanks for cushioning my fall…” Live rolled away with a grunt as a shiver went through their body.

Ben stood up, “My bad.” The wings dissolved into a reddish black goo and Ben shook off the remains with a disgusted look.

Liev stood up straight and adjusted their shoulders back, “Fine, if that’s how it’s gotta be…”

They watched the floor closely, keeping track of the faint ghostly shadow that the fiend was casting as it circled the area, looking for a chance to strike.

Ben moved over and slammed his fist down as hard as he could 5 times against the dresser – he was proud of the fact that a few of the plastic alphabet stickers fell off as he did so. They glanced behind them, “You wanna try again?”

“Yeah, except this time without letting it scalp you.” He stomped on the floor in front of the dresser.

They hesitated but seemed to get the point, bolting over and moving the furniture forward, giving them enough space to hide behind while Ben jumped up on a desk and started hopping front desk to desk clapping as loudly as he could trying to rile it up. After chasing it back and forth it seemed to go into a panic like a bird and shot to the side.

Liev watched the floor and then jumped up and smacked it as if they were hitting a volleyball .The fiend tumbled into the drawer and obviously Liev felt the impact because they slammed it shut on the demon - it shrieked and bucked against the confines and Liev was forced to shove it forward against the ground so that it wouldn’t escape. Splaying out on top of it as it crashed into the carpet.

The blood fiend rattled the entire unit and they had to hold on as it attempted to buck them off like a mechanic bull - Liev started cackling as they were nearly thrown off and they rolled their entire body onto the furniture to keep it down, gripping at the edges for support.

Ben couldn’t help but laugh at the purely thrilled look on their face as they wrestled this thing down until the shaking finally started to subside and the fiend obviously began to accept its new home. They eventually went limp as the rocking stopped and just laid over the top with an exhausted grin, “Yee-haw!”

Ben giggled and knocked on the wall in agreement.

He and Liev jumped as the door to the classroom opened and a very confused teacher’s assistant came inside, “What happened in here?!”

Liev put up a professional hand, still out of breath from the wooden rodeo they just conquered, “Liev Vaughn - I’m from the fire department responding to a call about a bird in here - really big fucking bird…” They flashed a thumbs up, “It has been contained but I’ll need to take this thing out to be cleaned before any children touch it and get… bird flu?”

They flashed a confident smile and the teacher’s assistant continued to look around at the chaos in shock, “A bird? O-okay, should we move the kids to a different classroom for the afternoon?”

“That’s a great idea - we’ll get this mess cleaned up-- I mean – I. I will get it cleaned up.”

“Okay… I’ll get something ready…” She left, closing the door behind her.

Liev collapsed on the desk with a groan, they looked like they were about to say something when it jolted underneath them, and they grabbed back onto it anticipating another round. As it went silent again, they laid back into a fit of giggles. 

Ben climbed onto the desk next to them and laid back to join them.

******************************************************************************

Ben leaned forward in anticipation against the back door of the school, from here he had a full view of the playground.

Kenzie was sitting on the swings looking around them while the other children were playing in groups, he put a hand against the window with a sigh, “Just go talk to them, Kenz’ – they’re going to love you... Don’t be scared.”

But no amount of silent begging or urging could get her to do anything but watch the other children nervously and Ben had to remind himself, yet again, that he couldn’t interfere and just standing here watching her work through this wasn’t helping anyone.

Ben went back to the classroom that the blood fiend tore up. Liev had cleaned it up and all that needed to be done was take the dresser away. He couldn’t help much but they talked to him as they worked and he continued their knocking pattern, when it wasn’t yes or no he would just write the word in the square of dry erase marker. 

Now that the room was in order again, Liev was sitting at the demon desk eating a meager meal that they had stolen from the cafeteria, next to them was a hand drawn Ouija board that they created from some construction paper and a marker. They popped the cap from their bottle of root beer and tossed it on the surface, taking a swig of their drink and sighing. 

Ben enjoyed looked at Liev – they stood out amongst the rest of the firefighters and despite the fact that they were as strong and capable as the rest they seemed softer. Their dark eyes were countered by a rounded face and an unsure smile which went loopy when they were actually laughing and not just copying the other people in the room. Their black hair had been shaved when they first met but now it was in a short boy-cut that framed their head.

They had scars. A lot of them. Not even including the burn scar that covered nearly their whole left arm, they had several wicked marks that they never spoke about and most seemed unwilling to ask about them (Including Ben). They had a particularly noticeable scar which ran up their neck and he often found himself daydreaming about crazy adventures they must have had when they were younger to earn such marks.

Ben was fond of the way they would tap their arm with three fingers absently when they were thinking and then they would bite their upper lip when they had figured something out. Ben knew this intimately since he’d had his ass kicked many times in chess a moment after they bit their upper lip.

They were quiet in groups but would bloom when one on one with somebody and they could talk for hours about anything and everything that caught their interest. Ben often found himself thinking about these conversations for weeks after they had finished and always looked forward to having another one. 

They always skirted the line between nerd and a scrappy runaway, a mix that Ben could never quite quantify.

Liev treated him like a person, all of the fire department were respectful but sometimes Ben felt like the dead ghostly novelty. Liev seemed to genuinely enjoy his company, at least that’s what he told himself, but since they moved in with Dave, he had been seeing less and less of his favorite firefighter since Kenzie didn’t need the constant babysitting from the outside. 

Liev took a bite out of a baby carrot, “I’m glad that you stuck around today - don’t know what the hell I would have done with that thing otherwise.”

Ben smirked, “You would have figured something out without me.” Then he moved the bottle cap over to U. H.A.D I.T then he shoved to the little smiley face emoticon that they had put in along with a sad one for better understanding of tone. 

They chuckled, “Maybe- But this was fun – it’s not every day you get to fight with an invisible creature summoned by a child. When you become corporeal again, you’ll have to draw me a picture of what it looks like.”

“I’d love to – I just don’t know if it would make it look better or worse.” He moved the cap over to write L.O.V.E T.O  
They smirked and the two of them fell into a comfortable silence, which was common when one person could only speak through a Ouija board. Ben felt a little creepy just watching them eat from their tray but what else was he supposed to do – most of his existence had been just observing other people and he had gotten really good at it.

U. O.K

“Yeah, I’m good – It’s weird. Since Dave showed up – It’s felt weird not being scheduled to babysit Kenzie or, you know, just help with stuff. I didn’t realize how much a part of my life that had become until it was gone. Or maybe just how sad my evenings are.” They laughed, glancing out the windows, “How are you doing? I bet you’re real proud of her – she’s on her way for someone who spontaneously combusts.”

“I am always so proud of her. Things might get tough but I think she’s got a kind enough heart to keep her on the right track. And people who love her – I think that a lot of the worry comes from our own issues – Kenzie’s going to be fine.”

S.O P.R.O.U.D is what he conveyed over.

Ben took a deep breath which he didn’t need and pushed the bottle cap over to I. M.I. Then he stopped, losing his nerve and looking away.

Liev raised an eyebrow, “You there?”

Ben knocked twice.

“Okay – What were you trying to say? Don’t go all cryptic on me, pretty ZOZO.”

Ben bit his lip and they took another swig of their root beer, “I mean, I’ve got all day, dude.”

Ben moved over and quickly pushed the bottle cap – I. M.I.S.S. U.

He cringed, suddenly happy that they couldn’t see his face at the moment. They followed his movements carefully then their face lit up in a way that Ben had never seen before and they reached over to the paper Ouija board. Ben watched as they took the bottle cap and moved it across the paper, I. M.I.S.S U. 2.

“I like you being here – dead is more my speed anyway.”

Ben sighed and settled his chin against his palm, a far away smile coming over his features. He glanced at the time, surprisingly happy to find out that they still had an hour to talk.

*********************************************************************

“Honestly, except for the invisible flying thing – it all went pretty smoothly.” Ben followed them as they turned a corner of the hall.

“You coming back to watch her tomorrow?”

He knocked twice, “Believe me, I want to – but- “

“Holy shit!” Liev jumped then doubled over with a laugh, “There you are!”

Ben looked down to see that his limbs had become corporeal and he was back to being a see through blue. He held up his hands, “Klaus must have come early…”

He glanced up, “Hi…”

They giggled, “Hey!”

The two stared at each other for a few moments before suddenly it felt a little awkward and Liev jerked their thumb over their shoulder, “Guess we should go talk to him?”

Ben reached out to touch their arm. Immediately he retracted his hand, feeling way too forward, “We can – But – I just wanted to tell you that – you’re always welcome in our house. Because it’s my place too and I’m always happy to see you.”

“Or whatever – Just wanted to put that out there.” He cleared his throat, resisting the temptation to fade away into invisibility.

Liev glanced down as they spoke, “Ben, I’ve been wanting to give you something.”

He tilted his head in confusion.

“Because you’re a really good friend. And I don’t have many friends… There’s Sophie; She’s always had my back. Kenzie gave me a Reese’s cup one time – I’m not all that great with social cues but I’m pretty sure that means we’re blood sisters now.”

Ben chuckled.

“And Klaus and the rest of the team, they’re all great. Really. But for the past 4 or so years I’ve always looked forward to seeing you, so…”

Ben was already reeling from their words to really understand what was happening when they leaned forward and kissed him. Just a brief, sweet brush of the lips but he froze – unsure of what to do and way too fast the moment was gone and he was chasing it in his mind.

They smiled at him then turned and started to walk down the hallway towards Kenzie’s classroom. Ben touched his lips, trying to savor the lingering warmth for as long as he could. His first and only kiss.

He trailed after them – barely comprehending the conversation with his brother as he waited for the bell to ring. And he kept close as they exited the school, the other person keeping their head up and focused forward.

Just outside the entrance Ben took a deep breath, out of habit, “Li-“

They turned back, “What’s up?”

“Thank you. I’ll keep it forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I was not intending on making Liev such a big character when I started. They were supposed to be sort of in the background where Klaus sort of teases Ben about them but I wanted Ben to have his own experiences away from Klaus so that's where this one came from. Thanks so much for reading!


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That's my girl!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter was prompted by the lovely KimbaSprite who asked; 
> 
> _1\. Kenzie getting in her first fight!! Diego teaches her self defense and she uses it to d e s t r o y the enemy. She becomes a legend on the playground._
> 
> _2\. Someone (probably another parent) makes the connection of Hargreeves - > Umbrella Academy. Maybe recognizes Klaus? Either a confrontation between Klaus & the parent about being a bad influence or between Kenzie & the kid repeating something negative they heard from their parent. _
> 
> I loved these two so much and I hope that I do you justice with this chapter! Thank you so much for these prompts and I hope that you enjoy! Thank you so much for reading!

_“Don’t you think she’s a little young?” Eudora said with a smirk as Diego led her down the stairs of his boiler room apartment._

_Diego raised a hand, “She’s 3. If she’s old enough to walk, she’s old enough to fight - here - watch this--”_

_They came up to where Kenzie was set up in the middle of his apartment, it looked strange next to his practical decor and empty space to see the bright children’s blanket and the scattering of toys. A high chair set next to his makeshift kitchen and obnoxiously colored juice boxes that he had stacked next to his fridge now that he was able to babysit his niece._

_“Hey, Kenz’!” Eudora held his hand as she followed him to where his niece was standing next to a small toy kitchen set up that he had brought over from Klaus’ apartment._

_She looked up and waved, “Hello!”_

_Eudora did the same, her face softening as she watched both the little one an the way that Diego changed when she was around him, “Hey, Kenzie, do you remember me?”_

_“Uh-huh!” The three year old stated confidently._

_“Kenz - I was wondering, since you’re in your kitchen - what would you do if a bad guy came up and did this--”_

_He got on his knees and held up a finger gun towards her face._

_“Jesus christ, Diego…”_

_“Just wait--”_

_She thought about it for a moment then grabbed her fake frying pan and whipped his hand away. Diego played out the move, his hand falling back slowly like the gin was falling away and she stepped forward and punched him in the solar plexus. He bent over, still playing out the scene. The 3 year old moved forward and kicked him in the crotch to finish out the moves that he taught her - he shielded himself but fell over defeated anyway._

_Kenzie dropped the plastic frying pan and clapped proudly as Diego rolled back onto his knees and held his hand up. She high fived him with all of her might - “That’s my girl!” Then he looked back up to Eudora, “See - She already knows combo moves! She’s a natural!”_

_“That’s very impressive, Kenzie - Now that you’ve gotten away from the bad guy, what do you do now?”_

_The toddler thought hard about the question for a few moments before picking up her frying pan and just continuing to beat her uncle in the shoulder with it for good measure. Diego Hargreeves did the closest sound to a giggle that he was capable of and although it made her heart warm with a strange affection that was now coming through - seeing this gentler side to her boyfriend - she was still a cop first and foremost._

_“Diego, she missed the first, most important step for a 3 year old.”_

_Both Uncle and niece blinked blankly at the detective._

_She shook her head and got on the floor with them, crossing her legs and clasping her hands, “Kenzie - if someone scares you - before you start fighting them you should always try to run away first. Run away and scream as loud as you can for an adult - be as noisy and difficult as possible. Fight as a last option.”_

_Diego waved his hand, “She knows that - I’m just trying to make sure that if she gets into a fight she wins - right, Kenz’?”_

_The toddler punched the air passionately in response._

_Diego leaned back and glanced at his girlfriend- “I’m so proud.”_

_She shook her head fondly, “That’s all we need - another tinier version of you running around.”_

_He laughed, “So what do you say - I told Klaus I’d watch her till he gets off work - we could go to lunch and shop and do boring things or I thought you could stick around and show her how it’s done?”_

_Eudora sighed. Kenzie was watching them curiously, absently chewing on the plastic spoon that came with the set. She and Diego had had their troubles in the past and he’d initially struggled with the fact that his ex addict brother was now a father but now she loved seeing this new side of her boyfriend. It was a more youthful and excited attitude - he’d decided that he wanted to be a part of his niece's life and like everything that he did, he was determined to be the best._

_Patch caved, “Okay - But we’re also teaching her how to sound the alarm and get an adult to help - again - she’s 3.”_

_“Who says she won’t be fighting other 3 year olds too?” He smirked._

_“Oh yeah- I forgot about all the ruffian toddlers roaming the city.”_

_Diego shrugged, “You never know -” He held out a hand and she took it, allowing him to help her back onto her feet, “Late naps is the cause of 80% of tantrum behavior.” He checked his watch, “Speaking of - we’ve got 40 minutes before naptime - you ready to show her some moves?”_

_They moved a few feet away onto a makeshift boxing pad, “Okay, Kenz’, you watching? Eudora’s going to teach you some new moves.”_

_The toddler clapped then plopped down on the floor watching them, her legs kicking impatiently in front of her. “Be careful, uncle Diego! I love you!”_

_He huffed, “Yeah, you too kiddo - okay--”_

_Eudora grabbed his arm, twisted him around and flipped him onto his back in one smooth motion which left him out of breath on the floor. She held up a finger,_

_“Rule number one, Kenzie- never let your guard down and always exploit your opponents weaknesses.”_

**************************************************************************************

**_A few years later…_ **

“Are you a freak too?”

Kenzie looked down mid- swing as the boy came over to the edge of the sand barrier and called over to her. A few of his friends giggling and egging him on. 

“What?”

“My dad said- Said that your family is weird and that the government should take you back.” Trent - a blond 1st grader with a loud voice and a big insecure presence walked up to Kenzie who had just been trying to swing in peace. 

The swingset was her favorite - she liked the sensation of flying and she was now big enough to go really high without her father’s help. She also liked that the other kids left her alone as long as she wasn’t wandering around the playground by herself. Until now, that is.”

She slowed her swing down with her feet, staring at him, confused as to why he was even talking to her, “Your dad sounds dumb.”

“That’s not true!” He walked up closer and the small group of his friends moved in as well, watching the interaction with as much attention as 5-6 years olds can muster. 

“He said you’re probably a freak too.”

Kenzie’s face screwed up, “I’m not a freak!”

“You’ve been talking to yourself -” He accused. 

Kenzie glanced over to the ghost child that would hang out on the swing set next to her - her name was Sally and even though she had a bloody mark on her head and wore strange old fashioned clothing, she was sweet and told Kenzie lots of stories. 

She had been afraid when Kenzie first came to the playground as she felt she couldn’t swing on her favorite seat anymore. But she warmed up when Kenzie offered to sit in the one next to her so her haunted seat would be open again. They became fast friends after that - lots of spooks were scary but Sally was more like Uncle Ben and she seemed lonely which Kenzie could currently relate to.

“My dad said that you shouldn’t be with us - someone should keep you away. I think he’s right - you’re a freak!” Trent shouted. 

Kenzie stepped off of her swing set, glancing back at Sally who had her face covered nervously at the interaction. She moved towards him on the defensive - she felt so angry but she had to keep that fire inside from flaring up- it was difficult and she could feel her body heating up as a response. 

She walked up to him. 

“Get away from me!” He yelled and tried to push her down. 

She ducked just like her uncle Diego and Eudora taught her and smacked his open palms away, clocking him right in the face as hard as she could - He stumbled backwards but then lunged forward. Kenzie was faster and she tackled him to the ground where she would have better leverage to incapacitate him. 

They wrestled for a short period of time then Kenzie punched him again and he rolled over and started wailing. Kenzie looked around at the other kids on the playground as they backed away nervously. 

Before she understood what was happening, a very upset teacher ran over and she was escorted to the principal’s office with a scolding. 

**********************************************************************************************

“Honestly - I think that 3 months is actually pretty good given our family’s tendencies.” Ben deadpanned as he and Klaus walked quickly through the halls of the elementary school. It was early afternoon and after they got the call they took an Uber from the shop to get here. Over 5 years sober and Klaus still wouldn’t get behind the wheel of a car. 

“Please - I never got into fights, even when dad tried to throw me into them. And neither would you.”

Ben scoffed, “You wouldn’t fight but we both know you started most of them.”

Klaus waved him off and Ben went invisible as they walked into the principal’s office - Kenzie was sitting two seats away from a boy in her class - she was staring nervously at the floor and swinging her legs. 

Klaus was on his knees next to her a second later, his hands moving over her face, checking her over for injuries, “Are you okay?! Kenzie - What happened?”

She didn’t have any marks on her - not a scratch even though her T shirt had some dirt on it. The kid next to her, however, was sporting a black eye - his face smeared with mud and a bandaid over one of his elbows. He was pouting dejectedly at the new arrivals. 

“She tried to gouge my eyes out!” He whined. 

“Okay, kid - don’t be dramatic-”

“Klaus.” Ben warned. 

“No- I did - But I was just trying to incapacitate him!” She said, using her thumbs to mime poking two eyes out - in a suspiciously similar way that the old posters from their childhood portrayed disabling an attacker. 

Klaus pressed her hands down, “Shh… Never admit guilt - remember? Plead the fifth, baby. Plead the fifth.” he whispered. 

“Kenzie - what were you thinking? You can’t attack people, you know that.” Ben stepped up to scold her since it took Klaus exactly 2 seconds to fall back on his old criminal survival techniques. 

“He started it!” Kenzie nearly stood up, pleading with Ben and pointing at the other kid. 

“There’s nobody there, freak!” The other child snapped. 

“Yes, there is - my uncle Ben! I’m not a freak!” Kenzie jumped up ready to fight again, this time getting stopped by her father. 

“Easy pumpkin-” He put a hand up towards the boy, “And you - don’t call people freaks, that’s very rude!”

The door opened and a man in a business suit walked inside with a huff, it only took him a moment to observe the scene then rush forward towards, presumably, his son. “I swear to god - if your little mutant laid a finger on my boy, we’re going to have a big problem, Hargreeves.”

He knelt down to observe his son’s black eye, redness creeping up his neck into his cheeks. 

“Excuse you - What did you just call my daughter?” Klaus stood up from his crouched position, his fists balled up at his sides. 

The man did the same, walking up to face the other father “There’s a reason they kept you freaks away from the rest of us - And apparently it runs in the blood.” He sneered, gesturing to Kenzie who was watching this exchange with wide eyes. 

“Klaus - You start something and it’s only going to hurt Kenzie - just wait for the principal to get in here and explain what happened.” Ben was standing guard between the men, although he wasn’t doing much good considering his brother’s eyes were sharp and locked onto the other offending parent. Flecks of blue were circling Klaus’ hands.

“I’m sorry- was your daddy a bank robber? Because, if so, my bad truly.”

“Screw you, freak.”

“That’s adorable - you must be so proud of your little white collar criminal in the making but maybe you should tell him what happens to snitches in the real world since he seems to be parroting the nonsense you spout at your sexually repressed wife in the evenings - Because my girl has every right to stand up for herself.”

The man stepped forward and pointed a threatening finger directly in Klaus’ face, “Big talk coming from a washed up child star freak turned crack whore. They should have never let a child of yours into this school.” 

Klaus squared up like he was about to push the other man. 

“Get him, momma!”

“Kenzie, no - Klaus NO.” Ben looked out the window, “Where are you, Dave…” He whined, his eyes scanning the parking lot. 

“Gentlemen!” The principal - a friendly looking woman in a pantsuit - came out of her office to the scene boiling to a head. She glanced around the group, “I apologize for your wait - I was on a call. Anyway - please follow me, so we can get this straightened out.”

She clasped her hands together, “Let's all just act like adults, shall we?” She gestured for them to follow her into the office. Klaus and the other man glared at each other but they both took their children’s hands and silently trailed after the principal. 

****************************************************************************************************

By the time the group exited the office - they were all feeling properly told off. Ben was impressed how Principal Cunningham cut through both his brother’s theatrical bullshit and the other man’s (Mr. Taylor) insistent ramblings and conspiracy theories. She didn’t have time for either of that - both kids were in trouble; Trent for bullying and Kenzie for fighting and they both received a week of suspension. 

Taylor’s attitude made Ben nervous- there were lots of people who disliked the umbrella academy and subscribed the conspiracy theories about where they came from but they had never had to coexist with one of them - much less with Kenzie being accused of being a mutant or a government experiment. 

He was dangerous because he was paranoid and scared of her even interacting with his son. 

“Kenzie - go wait by the door while we have a grown-up conversation about some stuff for a second - okay?” Klasu patted her back as she dragged her feet to the entrance. 

Klaus turned to his brother, “So what do we do now? Do we- I don’t know, ground her or something?”

Ben thought about it for a moment, “I guess? I mean - yeah- she can’t be starting fights at school. We need to set a clear boundary for that early. She’s only been here a few months - we don’t want this to become a pattern.”

“She didn’t start the fight- That tin foil hat junior did. He called her a freak, Ben! We need to deal with that! She’s probably so upset!”

Ben put a hand up, “We will- here’s what we’re going to do - We’ll ground her for fighting but we’ll talk to her about bullying. Just explain to her that next time-”

Klaus whined. 

“--If there’s a next time.” Ben corrected himself, “She needs to walk away and get a teacher instead of throwing punches.”

Klaus sighed and nodded, “Okay, okay- yeah, we’ll do that. I think- Shit- what is she doing?” He pushed past his brother who twisted around to see what he was looking at. Kenzie had pushed open one of the glass entrance doors and was now walking out into the parking lot. They started jogging faster down the hall. 

Klaus stopped when they could finally see out the doors, “It’s just Dave, thank fuck…”

Ben closed his eyes in relief, “Finally…” Then he continued, “So we’ve got a plan - no video games for a week but we play it cool ‘cause the other kid was a dick.”

By the time they made it out to the parking lot, Dave was crouched down talking with Kenzie who seemed to be handling this pretty well considering the circumstances but Klaus was fully upset by the entire situation - many of his own personal fears just coming to life in front of him after she had only been in school for a few months. 

“Why don’t you meet us in the car, Kenz’?” She groaned - sick of all the adults talking about her but she drug her feet towards the vehicle anyway, Ben joined her and started getting her ready in the backseat. 

“Sorry, I’m late - I tried to get here as soon as I could.”

“It’s okay - Just bullshit stuff, anyway.” He glanced up and added, “The little punk called her a freak - The father’s a lot of strong opinions about the umbrella academy and he’s indoctrinated his little spawn on all of them.”

Dave cringed, “Shit... You think it’s going to be a problem?”

Klaus pouted, “I don’t know… She didn’t do anything wrong! It’s just her name that gave it away - Maybe I should have, I don’t know, just made up a last name for her.”

“We both know it’s not because she’s a Hargreeves that she’s ‘special’ - Look, she probably scared the kid to death today - I doubt he’ll bother her again. Same goes for the rest of the kids.” He smiled and squeezed his boyfriend’s arm, “She’s the toughest kid out there.”

Klaus huffed, “Yeah… I just hate that she’s stuck with all the dumb shit I did in the past. It’s not fair.”

Before Dave could respond, a silver car drove past and the driver, Mr. Taylor, glared at them as he passed. Dave pulled an arm around Klaus in solidarity and held eye contact until the vehicle turned onto the road. 

Klaus pressed into Dave’s side, flipping the back of the car off as it disappeared into traffic. 

Dave kissed the side of his head, “Come on- Let’s go home.”

***********************************************************************************************

“Momma, why was that man being so mean?” Kenzie asked, as Klaus took out the pins keeping her hat firmly placed onto her head. It was their afternoon routine for him to help her get out of the beanie then brush out her hair. 

She had been unusually quiet even when they grounded her, although she did put up a fight at that, especially when Dave put the games up too high for her to reach. But nothing was lit on fire and Klaus only cried for a few minutes alone in the bathroom afterwards so he considered it to a resounding success. 

“Oh, some people are just bullies, Kenz’. They’re afraid of what they don’t understand and they get angry when they're afraid because they never learned to feel their emotions.” He sighed as he plucked the last pin out and lifted the beanie off of her head, revealing her horns and her flattened curls. 

“Why are they afraid?” She reached up and rubbed at her horns as if making sure that they were still there.

Klaus inwardly cringed at the question, “Because… We’re a very special family and they don’t understand that. It’s wrong. Because you didn’t do anything wrong and I don’t want you taking their fear and anger and turning that into more hate but I know that it’s easy to do that.”

“Kenzie, you know you’re not a freak, right?” He had her brush and was tugging slowly away at her curls, fluffing them back up and untangling any rats’ nest that had been created over the course of the day. 

She didn’t say anything. 

He turned her around to look at her, fluffing up the sides of her hair, “Kenzie - That kid, what was his name?”

“Trent.”

“Typical… Trent doesn’t know anything about you, he was just repeating stuff his old man was mad about me for and it wasn’t right. I don’t want you to get into anymore fights but I’m very proud of you for standing up for yourself but next time, you come to me, okay? He was angry at me and what I’ve done, I don’t want you to have to suffer for that.”

She pouted, “Can I play my games, then?”

He huffed, “ ‘Fraid not, Kiddo - And don’t pressure me anymore because you know I’m weak. If you’re going to pressure anyone, do it to Uncle Ben - He’s got one of those spine things.”

She smiles a little as he turned her around towards the mirror to see her newly freed locks and horns. He hugged her, “I’m sorry you had to see that, Kenzie - Just know that they’re wrong, okay? Those things that make you special don’t make you scary or bad. They make you my Kenzie Kenz' - my pumpkin pie--” he kissed her rapidly on the cheek and tickled her until she started to giggle and squirm, “My most favoritest person in the whole world - You understand me?”

She cackled and fell back against him. Klaus levitated both of them up a few feet, “The things that make you special make you who you are, do you understand me, Kenzie Grace?”

She nodded. 

“Fantastic! Now let’s go bother Dave until he feeds us…”

************************************************************************************  
Kenzie waited for her father to sit down at the table with Dave and start talking before she casually walked past. She moved close and hugged him - he absently hugged her back, stroking her hair as he continued to talk to Dave about something she really didn’t care about.

She slipped her hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Just like her momma taught her - she continued on without him noticing it’s absence and brought the phone into her room, plopping down on her bed and scrolling through his contacts. 

She tapped the one she wanted and listened patiently while it rang, a few moments later a familiar voice picked up, “”What do you want?”

“Uncle Diego?”

His voice changed, “Oh- Hey Kenzie, is everything okay?”

She grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it against her chest, “Everything’s okay -I wanted to tell you that I got into a fight today.”

There was a pause on the other end, “You got into a fight today?”

“Uh- huh… Mom and Dave say I shouldn’t have punched him first…” She admitted. 

There was a shuffling on the other end and she heard him muffle the phone, “Hey- fuck off- I’m busy, pal..” Then he returned to full volume, “Well, they’re your parents so they have to tell you that. It’s their job. But I’m your uncle so you know I’m always on your side.”

“Did you win?”

Kenzie's face broke out in a grin, “Yeah. I won.” 

She could hear the smile in her uncle’s voice when he spoke again, 

“That’s my girl!”


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is a little bonus one shot for the wonderful prompt that KimbaSprite gave me a few days ago: 
> 
> _Kenzie & body image. Klaus and Ben have done such a great job at being supportive and normalizing her horns but kids are jerks. Maybe someone steals her hat? Or maybe a red herring where Klaus thinks she's talking about her horns but it's something else she's been teased about?_
> 
> I really liked this one and I just hope that it isn't too goofy, I just had some fun ideas about it XD Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy!

“I don’t want to go to school tomorrow – can I go to the store with you?” Kenzie was sitting with her legs crossed on Klaus and Dave’s bed. There was a pile of clothing next to her and she had one of Klaus’ soft skirts on her lap, she was moving it around with her hands, enjoying the silky texture.

Klaus was half inside the closet which still had a considerable amount of clothing hanging up even after he had pulled so much out. Kenzie loved looking through her mom’s closet – he had a huge variety of clothing with no particular style or type. He had suits mixed in with dresses, shawls and scarves – skirts mixed with unusual pants and some jeans. Lots of his clothing was black or purple but he also had several pieces which were of obnoxious patterns that didn’t really make any sense. Mixed in with no organization was usually random accessories pinned or tied to outfits that he was fond of already.

He tugged out a sweater and inspected it before looking up at his daughter, “Well, you know I would love that but why don’t you want to go to School? I thought you were having fun?”

She shrugged, “I just don’t wanna go.”

Klaus stumbled out of the closet, nearly spraining his ankle on a pair of heels, and he plopped down on the bed next to Kenzie. Shoving the pile away as best he could, “What’s going on? I thought you were excited to play—” He waved his hand in front of him, cursing his shitty memory, “Games… with Lily –“

“Lola.”

“Lola! Right- right, yeah, so what’s going on?”

Kenzie shrugged again, “ She’s been hanging out with Lucas and Georgia...” She looked down at the skirt in her lap.

“Okay, so it’s a guessing game… I’m great at those! Um- Do you have a test?”

She shook her head.

“Not a test… Okay – hold on – I can get this!” He shifted into a sitting position and Kenzie smiled softly.

“Did you steal something?” He pointed to her, “Because you know I told you not to steal unless you can fence it or use it, right?”

“I didn’t steal anything.”

His eyes glanced over her and his eyes landed on the horns sticking through her hair and sweeping backwards, just now beginning to point upwards, “Is everyone being nice to you?”

She bit her lip and looked away, her hands balling up the fabric. When her eyes were away he cringed outwardly and scooted closer, “Kenzie?”

“They said I looked weird!” She finally admitted, “Why won’t they leave me alone?”

She pouted and leaned into Klaus’ arm, “Can I just go to the store with you again? I can help!”

Klaus sighed, “Pumpkin, I’m sorry – I..” He pulled her hair back, unhooking a few strands away from the tips of the right horn, “Did it fall off? I can put more pins in…” He offered desperately trying to make this right. 

“It doesn’t matter! They can see it anyway… Please!”

Klaus thought about it for a moment, “Is someone touching your head? I don’t understand…”

“No!” She said, starting to get frustrated at this point. She reached up and squished her face up on one side, “See!?”

He squinted at her as he tried to figure out what she was talking about, “Charades? You lost at charades?”

She groaned, “My eyes are lopsided!”

Klaus blinked a few times, “What?”

“They said my eyes are weird and in the wrong spots…”

His face twisted in confusion, “Kenzie – Your eyes are not lopsided…”

“Yes, they are!” She whined, staring up at him in frustration.

“Sweetie, I would _tell_ you if your eyes were lopsided…”

Just then Dave came into the room, and upon hearing the last sentence he gave them a perplexed look, “What’s going on guys…”

Dave opened up a drawer and tugged off his white T shirt which was now marred with dust- he had been working on fixing a squeaky recliner that Klaus had found – pulled it apart and oiled everything, cleaning through the inside and he planned to reupholster the thing. He loved to start projects like this on the weekends, he said it was ‘relaxing’ and ‘got his mind’ off everything. Klaus didn’t get it but to each their own.

“Someone from Kenzie’s class has been teasing her for having ‘lopsided eyes’…” Klaus explained with some exasperation.

Dave tossed the old shirt into the laundry basket, “But she doesn’t even have lopsided eyes…”

“Brilliantly put, Dave – see, baby, you don’t need to worry about that.” Klaus smiled in an attempt to make the upset 6-year-old feel better.

“Then why do they keep teasing me about it!?”

Klaus closed his eyes, “Because- pumpkin – kids are dumb as hell.” He explained.

“Klaus.”

He gestured towards Kenzie, “Not her, obviously- but they’re just making stuff up! Don’t let their ridiculous, made-up, observations of you ruin your experience! As long as you’re true to who you are and express yourself honestly then nothing they say matters.”

She thought about this for a few moments while Dave carefully started to put on a plain button up T-shirt from his drawer, watching in anticipation.

“What do I do if they keep doing it?”

Her fathers responded simultaneously:

“Tell a teacher what’s going on—”

“Tell them to eat shit—”

The men exchanged brief looks then Klaus cleared his throat, “I mean – Yeah, get a teacher…”

After Dave finished buttoning the rest of his shirt he sat down on the edge of the bed, “Your mom’s right, Kenz’ – This is your school year! Don’t let what they’re saying ruin your experience or make you avoid school. That’s not fair to you. Also, keep us updated, if this keeps happening you know we’ll be there to back you up and help you resolve it, okay?”

She nodded, “I guess…”

Klaus pulled an arm around her, “As long as you feel comfortable with yourself – you’ve got nothing to worry about. Now, let’s get fancy for tonight!”

Dave smiled fondly at them, “The movie starts in an hour…”

“That’s plenty of time- Pumpkin, you want to help me pick something out?”

The child looked around, then lifted the slightly wrinkled skirt that she had been wringing in her hands. It was her favorite since it was so long and soft, she also liked the slightly off putting purple and black design. “What about this?”

“Love it!” He snatched It up and then moved towards the bathroom, “I’ll be back-“ He giggled and closed the door.

“Klaus, be careful- I left some-“

They heard a crash and a muffled, “Ouch! Motherfucker!”

“Parts to clean…” Dave smiled at Kenzie, “He’ll be okay. You want me to braid your hair real quick?”

“Yes, please!” She turned around as Dave grabbed a brush, he started pulling it through her long hair and separating it into three long sections. As he braided her hair, she looked through the pile of clothes on the bed and piled her favorites on her lap.

A few minutes later Klaus came out of the bathroom shirtless in the skirt that Kenzie picked out, he stumbled out, grumbling about breaking a toe before plopping on the bed in front of them. He and Kenzie worked through the pile that she had chosen and talked about what Kenzie was going to wear to the movies. At this rate, they would probably be late for the movie but Dave didn’t mind so much. As far as he was concerned, Sunday could last forever.

*****************************************************************

**_The next day_ **

Kenzie held on tight to her lunch tray and her eyes scanned around the room. Since her little confrontation with Trent, most people gave her plenty of space even if several kids still tried to bother her or tease her. It was like they knew that she was different and everyone reacted differently, some would look at her in fear, some seemed suspicious, while others just stared at her in confusion.

As she sat down at a table, her mom’s words echoed in her head, _“As long as you’re true to who you are and express yourself honestly then nothing they say matters.”_

It made sense, and it had always worked for him – she had never seen anybody who dressed and acted like her mom- he had his own style which varied from day to day and he never cared about the strange looks he would get and he would just brush it off if someone said something to him.

Kenzie took a deep breath and poked at her food, she missed her mom, and uncle Ben, and Dave- she missed everyone and she hated feeling like a freak all the time. Despite this, she smiled and patted the seat next to her when Sally walked into the room, wandering around nervously with her hands wringing together.

The ghost paused then skipped forward happily to join Kenzie at the table.

Both of them glanced up as two trays slid over in front of her, two kids, a boy with short curly hair and glasses so big and cartoonishly magnified that they made his eyes look 3 times bigger and a girl with a messy bob cut and crooked nose.

“Hello!” She tried to sound confident, like her mom.

The girl responded first, waving enthusiastically “Hi- I like your hat!” She pointed to Kenzie’s head.

She instinctively reached up and touched the edge of her left horn through the beanie, “Thank you! I’m Kenzie…”

“I’m Rory! My mom loved Gilmore Girls!” She said with a proud smile, her voice was surprisingly loud.

The boy nodded in agreement- obviously, these two had been friends for a while, “I’m Trevor- I have asthma.” He said in a nasally tone.

“I like them…” Sally commented in her usual slightly croaked voice.

“This is Sally, she’s dead but she’s nice—” Kenzie stated, gesturing to her ghost companion.

The other children looked over the empty space next to Kenzie and paused. Kenzie’s heart thudded in her chest.

They waved, “Hi, Sally!”

Kenzie began to relax as they all started talking and by the end of the meal she was actually having a lot of fun. Rory and Trevor were odd kids who liked a lot of things that Kenzie had never heard of but they had so much fun talking about them that she didn’t mind - it made her excited too. 

So when one of the boys got up from his table to dump his trash and squished his face to the side, pointing at Kenzie and calling her weird eyes, she decided that she wasn’t going to let him ruin her day. She would just be comfortable with herself. 

She reached over and grabbed the remaining tater tots from Rory’s tray, launching them at the boy with all of her strength, “Eat shit, motherfucker!”

**********************************************************************

Principal Cunningham circled around her desk and sat down with a sigh, she took a small spoon and stirred a cup of coffee in front of her, she took a sip, “Mr. Hargreeves- Thank you for coming.”

Klaus sat across from her, his shoulders hunched sheepishly and his hands clasped together in his lap. Both Dave and Ben had snorted when they heard the situation and left him to handle this one on his own as punishment.

She smiled professionally and leaned forward, “Why do I have the feeling, Mr. Hargreeves, that you and I will become well acquainted by the end of this year?” Her voice was amused and relatively lighthearted despite the fact that Kenzie’s teacher had been less than happy about his daughter’s performance at lunch earlier that day.

Klaus exhaled and looked up, “Yeah, that’s my bad…”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenzie's first sleepover!! (From the perspective of the men who have never had a sleep over before and are just trying their best)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This one shot is based on the prompt by the incredible KimbaSprite who asked : 
> 
> _First sleep over?? Either Kenzie goes to another kid's house and Klaus is freaking out or they host one and Klaus is at a loss of what to do because his family has never had a proper sleep over and neither has Dave for that matter._
> 
> I loved this prompt so much and I hope that it does not disappoint! After this we will be back on the main story line and we're going to Texas! Closing in fast on the beginning of season one!! Thank you guys so much for all your lovely comments they mean so much to me!! I hope that you enjoy!

Klaus sighed and flicked off the kitchen light, he wrapped his arm around his middle, feeling soft in the big cozy sweater that he was wearing for bedtime. He meandered around the apartment until he came to the living room which looked like a tornado had blown through it. Kenzie, Rory, and Trevor were sprawled out on the floor on blankets – apparently the couch and mattresses they had placed around were only suggestions to the 6 years olds.

Sally was sitting a couple of inches away from the TV watching a movie on low volume with big, wondrous eyes. The ghost’s head snapped to the side as she heard him lean against the entrance, he waved at her and smiled but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to scare her from doing something she was enjoying, since she didn’t need to sleep like the other children.

Ben was in the back corner of the room, next to the windows, he had his legs crossed and he was reading silently. Klaus flashed a thumbs up and tilted his head to make sure Ben was going to be good with watching all the little one’s for the night. His brother mirrored his thumbs up, then went back to his reading.

Klaus had been to raves quieter than the day they had today so as he padded his way back to the bedroom, he marveled at the heavy silence left in the air now that the kids were asleep. In the bedroom, he stalled for a moment in the doorway, appreciating Dave’s figure stretched out on the bed calmly flipping through the pages of a woodworking magazine.

“Everyone good out there?”

Klaus crawled into bed and curled himself against his boyfriend’s chest with a tired sigh, “They’re passed out, guess that final batch of popcorn threw them over the edge.”

“Told you we just needed to keep feeding them.” Dave said with a laugh, rubbing Klaus’ arm and tossing his magazine onto the bedside table.

“What a day…” Then he added, “You know, I am so proud of Kenzie – I know it was so hard for her to make friends and now she’s having sleep overs? She’s gonna be fine.”

Klaus hummed, “Yeah… And what a group – thank god she didn’t make any friends like ‘Trent’—” He said in a slightly mocking tone, “Can you imagine dealing with his bitch of a father?”

“No kidding – and even with her little ‘surprise’ – I think it went okay…”

**************************************************************************

_“Think we got enough snacks? There’s more of them than there are of us - if they turn we won’t stand a chance...” Klaus mumbled through the palms of his gloved hands. It was a particularly cold day and he and Dave were standing outside the school waiting for everyone to show up._

_Dave chuckled, “I hope so - We bought enough to feed an army.”_

_Kenzie came out of the entrance of the school, grinning from ear to ear. Klaus exhaled, “You ready for this?”_

_“How would I know, I’ve never had a sleepover - Let’s just hope all the mommy blogs I binge read last night knew what they were talking about, I’d hate to ruin this for Kenz’.”_

_Klaus brought his hand over Dave’s jaw affectionately, “You’re precious - I’m obsessed.”_

_Dave snorted, “I’ve survived combat, K.”_

_“Hm. Denmother.”_

_A few minutes later and they were surrounded by a small herd of 6 year olds – Klaus noted with some concern that one happened to be a ghost, which Kenzie had not mentioned. He glanced at Dave only to remember that his boyfriend would only be able to see the other two children._

_Before he could say anything, the smallest, a little boy who was positively round in his little red parka, scarf and gloves and boots, tugged on the hem of Klaus’ coat. “Hmmf fmf hmm ffm…”_

_He glanced at his boyfriend, “Dave – That pillow is talking to us.”_

_The little boy tugged down the scarf from his mouth, “I’m not a pillow, Mr. Hargreeves, I’m Trevor.” He reminded them in the sweetest, nasally voice. “My momma doesn’t want me to get ‘amonia’.”_

_“Hi, Trevor.” Klaus said, trying not to laugh at the kid, with his huge glasses and round face._

_“My momma’ll give you a list of allergies…” Then he got distracted and went over the girl jumping up and down and yelling loudly. Rory was the tallest of the group and she also seemed to have the biggest personality._

_They hadn’t even gotten started yet and there was already a lot of jumping and screaming- so much so they barely realized it when a couple walked over, the first to step forward was Trevor’s mom – a Black woman with nervous, sharp eyes in an expensive, stylish winter suit. Dave had spoken to her on the phone and all Klaus knew from what he had said was that she was a lawyer and seemed very protective of her baby boy._

_Ellie Sanderson shook both of their hands quickly and she exchanged some words with Dave but Klaus’ stomach dropped when he got a clear look at her husband. He swallowed and looked down for a moment, reeling in what he should do. He couldn’t stand the idea of him being the reason that these people don’t let Kenzie’s friend come over when she was already so excited._

_Mr. Sanderson tilted his head and stretched out his hand, “Klaus?”_

_“Matt!” Klaus tried to sound as casual as possible, “Long time no see!”_

_“Yeah, kidding.” He was smiling and Klaus was struggling to figure out what would happen._

_“You guys know each other?” Ellie pointed between the awkward standoff, curiously._

_“Yeah! Klaus and I are old friends from when I first started as an EMT – This guy’s great!”_

_It was a strange, white lie that this guy didn’t have to say and Klaus felt the need to throw up in relief as Ellie seemed to immediately relax, “That’s great! Oh, that makes me feel so much better! – No offense – but this is my baby’s first sleepover and I just want everything to go okay. There’s some crazy parents out there!” She laughed a little too hard and Klaus sympathized with her so much in that moment._

_They were given a list of allergies, phone numbers, nearly half of his medical history and an instruction for him to call them every two hours and just before bed and when he woke up. As they left, Matt winked at Klaus and he pressed his hands up and closed his eyes to convey as much thanks as he could for the other father’s trust and discretion._

_Rory’s mom, Avery Shultz, was in and out as fast as possible, apparently late for work, she stopped by and gave her daughter a bag of necessities and an extra blanket. She hugged her quickly and thanked Klaus and Dave for watching her overnight. Avery had been pretty vague over the phone but Klaus could guess that she was probably a single mother – and she probably worked two jobs to make ends meet so Rory was most likely a latchkey kid, always on the hunt for a new adventure._

_Once the parents had left, Klaus glanced around to see how many people were around before waving his hand, allowing the palm to flash blue. A moment later Sally became visible and she lifted her arms and stepped around watching her own blueish body as she became corporeal. The kids lost their shit and were jumping around her a second later- the little one seemed a little overwhelmed but grabbed onto Kenzie and hugged her as hard as she could._

_Kenzie broke away and ran up to her fathers, “This is my friend, Sally! She can come too, right!?” She looked up at them with pleading eyes. A few feet away, the ghost girl stared at them suspiciously. She had declined to mention this third, dead, party member and Klaus turned to Dave whose eyes were wide, staring at the ghost child._

_“Yeah… Of course!” Klaus and Dave both nodded at each other with slightly questioning expressions. Kenzie cheered and ran back to her friends._

_“K, that’s fucked up – that’s a little kid.” Dave whispered._

_“Yeah – no kidding… There’re not usually any kid ghosts- they just go into the light immediately. I guess Sally didn’t for some reason?”_

_Dave was staring at her and the head injury that was now visible for everyone to see, “Poor baby…”_

_“We’ve only got three seats in the back, where are we going to put her?” Dave asked, snapping back to the practicality of the situation._

_“I don’t know – I’ll – She can just sit in my lap. I mean—” He dropped his voice, “it’s not illegal if she’s a ghost, right?”_

_“Probably not- Let’s just make sure to keep her invisible on the road so we don’t get pulled over.”_

_“Okay, sounds like a plan—” They did a quick fist bump for morale then started the process of loading up four kids and baggage into the vehicle._

*************************************************************************

“You never got a chance to tell me what was up with Matt? Did you guys used to date?”

Klaus exhaled, his face falling slightly, “No – He’s an EMT… And he worked my old haunts so not only was he there the first time I overdosed when I was 17 but after that, he was usually the guy who scraped me off the pavement. Sweet guy. We built quite the repertoire and he always offered to drive me to rehab… Gave me his coat a few times too…”

Dave smiled, “No wonder Trevor’s such a sweet kid – I bet he was so proud to see you today.”

The other man snorted, “He must have been something since he didn’t immediately rat me out as a druggie whore.”

“He could tell you weren’t on drugs anymore – he wouldn’t have let his son stay with us otherwise.” Dave watched his boyfriend for a moment, “Besides, you look damn good.” He said with a wink.

Klaus smiled but didn’t acknowledge the sweet aside. Instead he hummed absently, “I think Kenzie had fun today…”

“She had a blast. I’m glad that we took so many pictures.” He huffed, “I think she’s going to be very clingy for the next few days, though.”

Klaus stretched, “Yeah, our little green-eyed monster.”

“She’s a momma’s girl, through and through and I don’t think she’s ever had to think about having to share you.”

“But I think it was good for her. Every kid today was honestly great.” He continued. 

They went silent for several minutes, Klaus just enjoying the feeling of Dave’s chest rising and falling under him. When he spoke, his tone was more serious, “Are you going to be okay with – you know, the whole Sally thing?”

**************************************************************************

_When Dave heard the unmistakable sounds of a child crying, his head shot up from where he had been shoveling pizza rolls into a Tupperware container. The sounds of life and activity were wafting through the air and all of it seemed to be happy, so it was strange to hear the sudden sobbing noises coming towards him._

_He wiped his hands on his jeans and peaked around the corner, Sally was wondering down the hallway, holding her face in her hands. Kenzie was behind her, lightly poking her shoulder, her face twisted with concern, “What’s wrong? It’s okay – are you okay?”_

_The ghost child turned away from her and continued walking down the hall. Dave was crouching down next to her a moment later._

_“I don’t know what’s wrong! We were just playing…”_

_“It’s okay, Kenz’, let me talk to her for a second, huh?” The little one begrudgingly left and went into the other room after patting her friend on the shoulder one last time._

_“What’s going on, sweetie? Are you hurt?” Dumb question but it was just reflex._

_She looked up at him and he had to physically stop himself from cringing at the close visual of her head wound. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for Klaus to see stuff like this on a daily basis – probably even more brutal – he had obviously worked up a tolerance because Dave felt like vomiting every time he looked at the poor ghost child._

_“I want to go home!” She wailed._

_“You’re feeling homesick?”_

_Sally nodded with a pout. He thought about it briefly, going over the options – this was probably normal right? For a bunch of kids of this age – unfortunately, to have any context she would need to have Klaus around, and Klaus didn’t drive but they couldn’t leave Ben incorporeal with a bunch of 6-year olds. Also, her ‘home’ was technically the locked-up playground of an elementary school – so the options weren’t great with this particular child. Not to mention – the idea of voluntarily leaving a child in a playground at night was something Dave just couldn’t wrap his head around even if she was a spirit._

_“I’m sorry, Sally – Is this the first time you’ve been away from your… Home? In a while?”  
She sniffed and nodded her head, “I want to go home…” She repeated, then added in a soft whisper, “I have to protect them…” Her voice was weak, Klaus said that it was probably because she hadn’t used it in normal conversation in such a long time._

_“You have to protect who?”_

_“The kids – so they don’t fall…” She gestured to her own head._

_“Is that why you stay there? So that no other kids get hurt like you?”_

_She nodded, she was very close to him now, huddling against his shoulder. Dave heart broke and he swallowed hard._

_“That’s very brave of you – but there won’t be any kids there tonight so you don’t need to worry about that, no one will get hurt. You’ve been protecting everyone for such a long time – why don’t you stay and just be a kid for a night? Then we can bring you back home in the morning.”_

_She seemed to ponder this, “No one will get hurt?”’_

_“There’s no one there right now, I promise.”_

_She just blinked and sniffled for a little while; her face was still pressed against his shoulder as he waiting for her response._

_“Okay.”_

_“You want to stay for a little while?”_

_“Uh-huh.” She said but she didn’t move._

_Dave brough his arm around her and stood up, lifting her onto his hip, he brought her into the kitchen and just lightly bounced the child. After a little while she seemed to relax and she laid her head against his chest, curling her arms up and closing her eyes. He knew that ghosts didn’t sleep but she seemed at peace being cuddled again._

_He hummed softly, an old lullaby that his mom used to sing to him when he was a child- he didn’t stop even when he looked up and saw Klaus leaning against the edge of the doorway, one arm around his stomach and his other palm pressed against his chest as he watched them._

_Dave had a painful lump in his throat as he rocked her gently so he was thankful when Klaus glided over to stand with them, he placed the palm of his hand against her back and rested the side of his head against Dave’s shoulder._

_Dave would never know how Klaus handled this – because the idea of letting her go back to her place, alone on the playground, to protect other children – made his heart feel like it was shattering._

********************************************************************************

Dave sighed thinking back on the evening – a few minutes later she had gotten back her energy and was running off to play with the other children like nothing had even happened. He didn’t feel that way. “How do you do it? Seeing that shit every day and not being able to help. I can’t even imagine.”

Klaus huffed, “I did heroin and now… I don’t know—I guess I just try to focus on something else.”

“And hey, maybe since we know why she’s there we can be like her vacation home – when there’s no kids on the playground she can just come hang out with us!” He continued in a more positive tone, watching the way Dave’s face seemed to harden thinking about the situation.

“I like that idea – At least we could do something. Would she just grow up like a normal kid if we did that?”

Klaus shrugged, “I think so? Ben technically died when he was a kid and the more experiences he has, the more he just ages normally? I mean, I don’t know how it works but that’s what Ben figures.”

“Huh.”

Klaus snuggled in closer and pulled an arm around the other man’s waist, yawning loudly which immediately caused Dave to do the same.

“What an insane day – and that’s saying something in our house…”

Klaus hummed in agreement.

“Did _you_ have fun?”

“Actually, I did… Which is weird because- I don’t even like kids that much.”

Dave snorted.

“I’m serious! It’s different with Kenzie – She’s my little mini me. My tiny protégé – I’m hardwired to love her. But all my siblings were the same age, I don’t know shit about kids.”

After staring at him for a while, seemingly lost in thought, Dave finally said, “I don’t believe that for a second…”

*************************************************************************************

_“Okay, Lilliputians! Gather ‘round – Dave went down a Pinterest rabbit hole and now we are doing this. Little pre-sleepover activity…” Klaus reached over the table and lined out the big group of art supplies, markers, stickers, glue sticks, and so on, at each seat was a white pillowcase (luckily they had already bought an extra just in case, so there was enough for Sally)_

_Klaus looked down at the overwhelming array of supplies and sighed, “I think it’s great that Dave ‘scheduled’ this one at the exact same time he had a Zoom meeting!” He said just loud enough that his boyfriend could hear him in the other room._

_Ben, who was sitting off to the side watching everything with a look of delight, laughed and shook his head._

_The kids surrounded the table and scampered into their seats excitedly, as they all got settled they ended up just sitting there staring at him politely as if not sure what they should do with their little hands._

_“What are you waiting for? Go nuts!” He waved his hands around randomly and then reached over and grabbed onto one of the markers. He sat down and started to scribble on his own blank pillowcase._

_The kids obliged and soon there was a barrage of tiny hands grabbing and speaking loudly over each other. To Dave’s credit – this did keep everyone busy until it would be time for dinner and to start movie and popcorn time. Klaus did, also, begin enjoying himself as he used the pillowcase as a blank canvas._

_At some point, Rory lifted up her half-created pillowcase, “There’s no glitter – I want mine to sparkle!” She complained, shaking out the fabric._

_Klaus looked around, “You’re right, there’s no glitter – He probably just forgot to put it out...”_

_“He didn’t ‘forget’, he didn’t buy any because glitter’s a nightmare to clean up and we don’t want to send them home sparkling for the rest of the month.” Ben chimed in._

_“No glitter, my ass…” He mumbled, then he immediately cringed and looked around to see if any of the kids heard that. He’d been doing so well with not cursing. It was exhausting._

_He left and then came back to the table a ridiculously short amount of time later with red, purple, and green bottles of glitter. “I know that this is a disgrace, but this is the only colors we had – now we can make some real art.”_

_Ben’s jaw dropped, “Where did you even find that?!”_

_The kids cheered, it was an instant success and pretty soon every pillowcase was being smeared with the glitter. And every hand. Also, faces, hair and the table and the floor._

_“Momma, you’ve got purple in your beard!” Kenzie said, giggling and pointing to Klaus’ face._

_“In my beard!? Can you get it for me?”_

_He leaned down and she wiped her palm over the bottom of his face, effectively wiping more glitter into his goatee until the hair was glistening with purple sparkles. Everyone at the table giggled hysterically and Klaus made a surprised face, “Did you get it?!”_

_Kenzie shook her head and reached up to put more on his face until Klaus couldn’t help but start giggling with the children._

_Ben watched in horror. “Oh my god.”_

_Dave walked into the room, presumably finished with his meeting, and jumped like he had seen a dead body, “Oh my god.”_

_Ben raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the sparkling chaos, “You didn’t Klaus-proof good enough and now look what happened. You’re lucky he didn’t eat it.”_

_“Love!” Klaus announced, standing up to greet his boyfriend with open arms. “This was a fantastic idea!”  
He sauntered up to him like he was going to kiss him, and Dave immediately dodged and escaped to the other side of the kitchen, “Absolutely not – that’s never coming out.”_

_Klaus cackled evilly, “Come on – give us a kiss!” He chased Dave around the island a few times making smooching sounds._

_“No- no – Oh my god – it’s everywhere!”_

_Klaus lost his breath laughing and running at the same time until he looked over at the table of kids screeching in glee and raised his arm, “What are you doing? I gave you glitter – attack him!”_

_Dave didn’t stand a chance. And by the time they were finished with him he was left standing in the middle of the kitchen with small glittery handprints all over his clothes and arms. Klaus finally walked up to him victoriously and handed him a still slightly damp decorated pillowcase, laughing under his breath._

_“I made you a pillowcase…”_

_Dave took it humbly with a grin, “Thanks. I can’t wait to watch you try to clean this up.”_

_Klaus pressed a kiss to his cheek, leaving a circle of purple glitter stuck to Dave’s skin. “Hm, worth it.”_

********************************************************************************

Dave glanced fondly over at his new crafted pillowcase that was draped over their dresser drying, It was a childish mess with the words “Klaus Loves Dave” scrawled in big green marker letters, a glitter handprint on either side along with a smattering of heart stickers and emoji stickers.

“You’re fantastic with them.”

“Hm. Must be my youthful energy.”

They laid there for a little while longer in silence, thinking through the entirety of the experience. As chaotic and weird as their lives already were – they were relatively closed off, new people weren’t allowed into their little sanctuary. This was a big deal.

“Today was great though, right? Kids running around everywhere, the life and the chaos – it was great. I was really afraid we were going to bomb but I think we nailed it…” Dave’s voice was far off as he absently stroked Klaus’ shoulder.

Klaus lifted himself up onto his elbow – his eyes suddenly bright in disbelief, “Oh my god…”

“What?”

“You have baby fever.” He whispered urgently, voice dripping in amusement.

Dave scoffed, “I don’t have baby fever.”

“You have baby fever, holy shit!”

The other man laughed, “Listen, it’s not like that—”

“Oh really?”

“I am perfectly happy with the family that we have now – one kid, one ghost brother. Look, I never thought I could have a family like this! It’s perfect just the way that it is…”

Klaus continued to stare at him until he continued.

“I mean, I wouldn’t be _against_ having a bigger family-- having more kids…” He finally admitted.

“What, you mean like…” Klaus swallowed, “With me?”

Dave tilted his head slightly, bringing his hand up to cup Klaus’ face, “Yeah – who else would I want to have a family with?”

Klaus blinked a few times.

“I mean, have _you_ ever thought about having more kids?” Dave was leaning forward trying to get a read on the other man.

Klaus sighed, “You mean since the last time I spiritually raw-dogged hell and ended up with the first one?” He leaned back in thought, “No, not really.” 

“That’s fine, like I said, our little family is perfect just the way it is.” He yawned again, stretching out and reaching for the light, “Now, let’s get some sleep – I have a lot of waffles to make in the morning.”

He flicked off the light switch and turned over, facing the door, leaving Klaus leaning on his elbow – his face blank and lost in thought. After a few minutes he reached over and tapped the other man on the arm, “But like, how _many_ kids are we talking? In this biological clock fueled daydream, what kind of numbers are we talking.”

“Go to sleep, Klaus.”

“Just hypothetically!” He waited a few beats and when he still didn’t respond, Klaus tapped him again, “Dave? Dave, I know you’re not asleep.”

He gave up and rolled backwards onto his own pillow, the gears in his head still turning even though the exhaustion from the day had him melting into the comfortable mattress. No sooner than he had closed his eyes did they hear a muffled ‘thump!’ and a ‘squelch’ from the kitchen.

Both men’s eyes snapped open.

“Did you put the cupcakes in the locked cabinet?” Klaus asked urgently.

“Shit!”

They both rolled out of bed but before they could even reach their bedroom door there was a crash and a splat then a maniacal gobbling sound. This was immediately followed by a bunch of yelling children.

“Goddammit, Rot…” Klaus said through clenched teeth.

Dave sighed tiredly,

“You get the fiend. I’ll calm down the kids.”

,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I made it very clear but Trevor's dad is supposed to be the EMT from the first episode :) He didn't have a name so I just had to make one up :) Thanks for reading!


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going to Texas for the summer holiday!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! We are back on track! I'm planning around 5 chapters that happen in Texas over this break and then we will finally be at the finale before season 1! I cannot believe this ended up so big but I am loving it!! Thank you so much for all your lovely comments!! I hope that you enjoy this one! Thanks for reading!

_” Remind me again why we didn’t just take the 2 hour flight?” Ben asked, leaning forward between the driver and the passenger seat. They were pretty comfortable, but he was effectively squished between Kenzie and Sally in the backseat. The ghost child was relatively calm, just kicking her legs and staring out the window but Kenzie was more agitated after being cooped up in the car for 8 hours._

_“Because if baby goes boom – we don’t want to be in a tin can above the clouds.” Klaus was comfortably curled up – something which drove Dave crazy, always reminding his boyfriend that if they get into a car accident his legs will snap like twigs._

_Dave glanced in the backseat, “If something goes wrong, at least we can handle it in a car- can’t pull over in a plane.”_

_Ben sighed – not that he wasn’t enjoying the new sights, but he had never been on an airplane and when Dave invited them to go to Texas during the summer holiday, he was looking forward to a flight._

_“There’s a rest stop a few miles ahead – we’ll stop there and figure out what we want to do.” It was starting to get into later evening since they started later than they had intended because they’re them and that’s just how they tended to roll. “Maybe we can get a hotel for the night?”_

_A small hand reached forward – everyone seemed to be shifting around, getting more uncomfortable as the miles dragged onward, “Momma, can I have some cereal?”_

_“Don’t feed him any more cheerios – he’ll get carsick again.”_

_“But he’s hungry!”_

_“Klaus- he’s clacking around back here – it’s very annoying.” Ben chimed in._

_Klaus reached back, “Just give him to me – that way I can stick his head out the window if he barfs again – I don’t even think he’s meant to digest this stuff…”_

_“No!”_

_“Don’t you dare – if he flies out the window it’s going to be a shit show.”_

_He groaned, “Oh my god, fine! I’ll just put him in this old McDonalds bag – that way when he gets nauseous and ralfs over everything – which it’s stupid that’s even a thing – I won’t have to clean up any more ectoplasmic cheerio goo. Let me take him—”_

_“Don’t put him out the window!” Kenzie held the clattering doll to her chest._

_“I won’t put him out the window – I promise.”_

_She reluctantly handed her father the doll and he set it on his lap, he flicked a clawing tiny hand back into the broken eye socket and placed a fast food bag over the head. The clattering died down – “See- he’s like a bird – Out like a light. See, I’ve got big brain too, BEN.”_

_The fiend started gurgling and Klaus flipped his vessel upside down, “Ugh –“_

_“When are we going to be there?” Kenzie whined._

_“Few more miles, Kenz’ then we’ll all stretch our legs –“ He glanced over at Klaus with a fond smirk, “I think that – SHIT!”_

_Dave wrenched the wheel over as the lights from a semi barreling forward in the middle of the road blinded them. The big wheeler was veering into the next lane towards them and all Dave could do was slam on the brakes and skid the car to the side._

_The car erupted in screams and Ben threw himself over Kenzie just as the massive vehicle was about to plow into them. However, in the split second of time that they had – the truck never hit them._

_Dave’s eyes were squeezed shut and he had a hand on Klaus’ chest – he opened them with a gasp and looked around, trying to figure out what the hell was happening. The big wheeler was floating around 10 feet in the air just above the side of the car, suspended in motion._

_“What the fuck…” He heard Ben from the back._

_Dave turned and his hand immediately snapped away, Klaus was next to him but it wasn’t exactly Klaus – His hands were up in a shielding gesture and there was an electric blue aura around him and his eyes were black, sunken deep into his skull. His face was expressionless, and he wasn’t moving or making any sound. He wasn’t breathing._

_“Kenzie!? Are you okay? Sally?” Dave’s heart was pounding painfully in his chest._

_“Uh- huh…” Came the nervous reply, Ben was still shielding the alive child but his eyes, like Dave’s, were on his brother._

_“Klaus?” Dave tried cautiously. There was no response, no reply._

_Dave put the car in reverse and peeled away from under the floating semi-truck, parking a few feet away. The driver of the truck was stoically hanging out the window of the truck – his arms dangling and his face frozen over the drop but Dave couldn’t worry about that at the moment._

_“Klaus, snap out of it!” Ben tried._

_Dave looked back, “What the hell’s happening?”_

_“I-I don’t know – I’ve never seen him like this.”_

_“Momma!?”_

_“Kenzie – don’t touch him.” Dave was staring at his boyfriend- or the terrifying shell of him, completely unsure of what to do to help the situation._

_“I knew he had telekinesis, but I didn’t know he could lift up a truck.” Then both Ben and Sally leaned over almost simultaneously._

_“Shit! I feel like- “The ghosts’ forms were shining brightly, and their aura was cracking dangerously._

_“Klaus, stop it!” He snapped, “Jesus Christ- I’m so angry...” He groaned and balled up his fists. Sally was doing the same thing._

_Dave reached over and took Klaus’ hand, “Baby – look at me, everyone’s okay. I need you to let go. Let him go – set him down.”_

_“Dave, he might hurt you.” Ben shook his head, the agitation sending spikes of intense emotions through his body like electricity. He reached over Sally and started trying to open the door. Kenzie screamed as the energy spiked inside the car – an obnoxious buzzing overwhelming everything._

_“Klaus, come back- I need you here, okay? Just let go, set him down slowly.” Dave kissed his knuckles, “It’s going to be okay.”_

_Several more minutes passed until they heard the creaking metal from the big wheeler strain and pop as it began to lower back down to the pavement. Then in the last few feet, it crashed down relatively safely, and the driver seemed to snap out of it – immediately falling to the road and beginning to scream._

_Everyone in the car jumped when Klaus gasped and the electrifying energy ceased, leaving the ghosts to fade away with a relieved sob. Klaus ripped his hand away and snapped it to his chest as he closed his eyes and screamed._

_“Klaus—”_

_He started clawing at the door handle, gasping and whining in panic. Dave unlocked it and he tumbled out onto the pavement, he scrambled forward and began to run._

_“Stay here with the kids.” Dave ordered, snapping off his seat belt and jumping out to chase him._

_Klaus didn’t make it very far before he collapsed in the ditch, his legs trembling too violently to hold up his body. He curled forward, gasping for air and as Dave approached he whined, his eyes open and back to their green hue._

_Dave fell to his knees and reached out a slow hand, “Klaus, sweetheart –“_

_Klaus leaned forward and vomited painfully into the grass, he looked up, his vision far away, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to – Please don’t...”_

_“Klaus, it’s me, Dave – It’s going to be okay. You saved us – Everything’s going to be okay.” He just repeated a few times._

_Eventually, Klaus blinked and then crawled quickly to Dave clinging onto him, holding on to his lap desperately as police and ambulance lights began to flick over their forms._

***************************************************************************

By the time they finally pulled into the bumpy driveway in the country outside of Dallas, it was early afternoon and Klaus’ ass was numb as hell. They were a day late after taking the rest of the journey slow following the ‘incident’ but the rest of the trip was as uneventful as you could hope for with their family.

“Are we here!?” Kenzie looked around wildly, her feet had been dancing in boredom for the past 20 miles and she was brimming with energy.

Sally didn’t say anything, she only stared out the window with wide eyes – gazing at the trees and the animals scattered around the area.

“We’re here!” Dave was finally able to announce, resulting in cheers from the back. He glanced over at Klaus and sweetly squeezed his hand.

Klaus knew that he was trying to be delicate after their accident but he could also see that Dave was distracted the closer they got to Texas and by the time they turned down the road to get to the ranch style house, he was obviously struggling to keep his face serious.

A woman came out of the front door and Dave nearly flew out the car – Klaus watched nervously as she and Dave met, and she tackled him in a hug. He embraced her back and he couldn’t tell if they were crying or laughing but they certainly weren’t letting go.

“Damn – why don’t you ever greet me like that?”

Ben scoffed, “Because I’ve seen you every day for the past 13 years – it’s not that exciting anymore.”

“Come on!” Kenzie urged, rocking impatiently in her seat – this had been quite the long haul for the 6 year old.

“Alright – alright – let’s do this.” Klaus caved and got out of the car, leaving the reunion and helping Kenzie out of the back while Ben and Sally got out the other side.

Another woman came out, Klaus had never seen her before, she had long brunette hair and she seemed to be a little hesitant. Dave let go of Nora and walked up to the new woman while his sister walked up confidently to the family. He was struck again by how similar she and Dave’s appearances were – if he didn’t know she was older than him, it would have been easy to assume that they were twins.

“Oh my god, Klaus!” She opened her arms and before he could do anything, she hugged him tight, patting his back with strong arms.

“Hey…!”

She pulled him away to look at him, “Dave has told me so much about you – I feel like I already know you!”

“Same!” Klaus said a little lamely and she just gripped him into another bear hug.

She finally let go of him and moved forward, “And Kenzie! Kenzie, Dave tells me that you are so smart and funny! I have been dying to meet you!”

Kenzie had been staying right next to Ben, holding onto the hem of his jacket but as Nora opened her arms, she skipped forward into them, all the bashfulness gone. Nora hugged her like she had been there her entire life.

Kenzie pulled back grinning, “Hi!”

Nora laughed, “Hi!” She said looking her over, “Dang, Dave was not kidding- you look so much like your momma! I can’t stand it, you’re adorable!”

She hugged her one last time and faced the two ghosts in the family, she seemed a little hesitant, but she stepped forward anyway, “Ben?”

He nodded and closed the distance, “It’s great to meet you, Nora.” He said as they embraced as well.

“Now, I’ll admit – I’ve never been around spirits before. Least, none that I’ve known so if I do something stupid or say something offensive I need you to just tell me, alright?” She said seriously.

“Don’t worry about it – I get that it’s weird but if you’re anything like Dave, we’ll get along great.”

She smiled warmly at this and turned her attention down to the child hiding behind his back, “And who is this? Sally, is that you?” She said, crouching down.

Sally nodded.

Nora had a very similar expression as Dave did when he first met the ghost child.

“Sally’s staying with us over the summer.” Ben explained, trying to push her forward so she would be more in the spotlight.

“That’s wonderful!” Nora tilted her head, “Now, are you more of a handshake kind of gal or a hugging kind of gal? I don’t want to hurt you, baby.”

Sally paused then responded by opening her arms slightly. Nora wrapped her into a hug, “Me too, Sally.”

Dave and the other woman walked up the group and he immediately pulled an arm around Klaus – he was beaming in a way that Klaus had never seen before and he couldn’t quite put his finger on what the difference was but it was fascinating to see, nonetheless.

“And this – “ Nora walked back and threw an arm over the new woman’s shoulders, “Is my lovely girlfriend, Alyssa.”

Alyssa waved politely – obviously in a position similar to Klaus’ in this family reunion, made all the more strange by the general weirdness of these newcomers.

“Now, ya’ll are always welcome to come in but I figured you might be ready to just get to the cabin and turn in for the night.”

“Yeah, I think that would probably be best – there’ll be plenty of time to show us around later. Are we just going to follow you?”

“Yeah, I think that’d be easier.”

“I don’t want to do any more driving!” Kenzie lamented, her head turning around to look over everything this small ranch had to offer – this environment was completely strange to her, she had been a city baby from the second she was born.

“Hey, I think you’re gonna love this place—” Nora knelt down to Kenzie’s level, “And, you can drive with us if you want.” She offered, glancing at the fathers for approval. 

Kenzie thought about it and her and Sally seemed to exchange a silent conversation, they nodded simultaneously, “Okay!”

Klaus leaned over closer to Dave, “Wow, 20 seconds and they just abandoned us - brutal.”

**************************************************************************************

The cabin that they were borrowing from Nora was gorgeous, certainly a lot nicer than Klaus had anticipated. When he thought about visiting a cabin in the woods over summer break he had envisioned something out of a horror movie - no electric and an outhouse situation. It wasn’t like that at all, the place was small but well maintained with two bedrooms and a back patio area. 

They weren’t that far in the woods, just enough that it felt cozy and isolated - Klaus noted with relief that he hadn’t seen or heard a single angry spirit since they arrived. It was peaceful. The place was well decorated with a very ‘country’ aesthetic but surprisingly, Klaus didn’t hate it. 

It was getting into evening time and the girls were busy setting up their room; Klaus had helped Kenzie unpack and put everything into her closet and Ben was just wondering around exploring things. Alyssa had left to take care of the animals on their ranch and had left Nora at the cabin where Dave had offered to take her back. 

They were currently in the backyard setting up a firepit on the patio so when Klaus walked by the cracked open door and heard their voices coming through clearly - he heard his name an old fear settled in his stomach so he pressed his back against the wall and began to listen to their conversation. It was pathetic - he knew that but he had also just gone full zombie on the ride there and was feeling like a monster. 

Just like last time, he was left feeling like something stronger and more sinister than he could ever be was crawling through his veins. This time everyone he loved had seen it too, and just as the monster went away and Klaus felt his body again there was a brief glimpse of Dave’s face where he looked terrified of Klaus - and he couldn’t shake that split second memory. 

He wanted to ask him if he regretted being with him now - the thought of losing Dave was heavy on his shoulders and a part of him anticipated a breakup after they were through with this vacation. He wouldn’t blame him. 

“--He seems a little shaken up. I mean - I’ve never met him before but that’s just the vibe I got.”

“Yeah, we almost had an accident on the way here. Some poor trucker fell asleep at the wheel and almost splattered us against the road. I think he’ll be okay though… I mean, I hope? I think he needs some time off, a vacation.”

“Are you guys… Doing okay?” She asked hesitantly. 

They had ceased to work on the fire pit and were now just sitting in the chairs around it. 

“I think we’re doing great - What, almost 3 years, now? But, I mean I worry about him.” Dave admitted, “I think it’s so hard for him to feel safe in a world where the dead are constantly trying to attack him and his father is always looming over him. He’s always ‘on’ in public, got this fun, carefree persona but when I put my hand on his back it feels like his spine’s about to snap.”

Dave paused, “And I just wish I could--”

“What are you doing?”

Klaus jumped at Ben’s voice suddenly right next to his ear. He hissed at him - trying to shoo him away. 

“Really? Eavesdropping? How insecure are you?”

“Go away!” He said through clenched teeth. 

“It’s Dave - what do you think he’s going to admit?” 

“Just go away…” Klaus pleaded. 

Ben rolled his eyes, “Fine - whatever, still a shitty thing to do.”

Klaus waved his brother off with another hiss then turned his attention back to the conversation outside. 

“--I didn’t get that impression at all.” He caught the end of Nora’s sentence. 

Klaus cursed his brother for making him miss a section of the conversation and leaving him scrambling once again for context. 

“I hope not. I know I don’t have much to offer him but, I mean, let’s face it, Klaus is the reason I wake up everyday. Him, and Kenzie, and Ben and Sally have given me back that hope that I lost.” He sighed, “After I was discharged I never thought I would feel okay again but now everyday I thank god I have them in my life… Have a reason to be here.”

He heard the metal chair shift, “And it’s all because Klaus found me. And even when I felt like a monster he never treated me like one. He always treats me like I’m special.”

“He’s my goddamn superhero.”

Klaus whined, shoving his palm over his mouth. 

“Wow, that is disgustingly sweet - honestly makes me want to vomit.”

Dave laughed. 

“But I’m all on board for it - I mean, think about the day we’ve had just today. And I remember when you called me the first time after you started working with him - you sounded like a love drunk highschool nerd.”

“It seemed like he brought you back to life and all I could think was - thank god my brother’s not dead.” She said in a softer, less joking tone of voice. 

“I think he did bring me back to life. He’s kind and he’s funny and even when we fight I can’t stay mad at him for that long; Have a hard time saying no to those eyes…”

“Barf.” He could hear the grin in her voice. 

Dave laughed and he heard one of the metal chairs get shoved over, “I can’t wait for you guys to get to know each other - I think you’re really going to get along.”

“Same. Can’t wait to give him the ol’ Nora Katz shovel talk.”

“And I want you and Alyssa to go do some things together while you’re here too - It’s getting pretty serious and I want you guys to get along.”

Dave scoffed, “I can already tell we’re going to be friends - I’m all for anybody who can take you down a few notches. I need there to be at least one other sane person in this family and it sure as hell ain’t you.”

Nora cackled, “Jackass.”

Klaus was still in shock, his hand pressed over his mouth when he heard the metal deck chairs scrape against the ground. 

“Well, I better get home..”

“Yeah - let’s go around.” Dave laughed, “I bet everyone else is already passed out inside.”

“Did you tell uncle Brian you were coming by?”

“Yeah, I talked with him before we left. It went over about as well as you’d expect.”

“Shit.”

Klaus heard the crunching of leaves as they started walking through the yard to the other side of the cabin.

“You’re not going to drive like an 90 year old woman are you?”

“We both know I’m the better driver between us.”

She scoffed, “Yeah, right.”

“How many speeding tickets do you have?”

“I don’t think that’s relevant…”

Their voices faded out and Klaus slowly made his way back through the cabin, shutting and locking the back patio door. He fell on the bed, sprawled on his back and just stared at the ceiling, feeling guilty, relieved, and in love all at the same time. 

********************************************************************************

When Dave got back to the cabin, all the lights were off and he had to search to find the outside light so he could find his way in - he forgot how incredible dark it could in the country. Inside he found Ben and Sally sitting on the couch watching TV, she was leaning up against him sucking her thumb and blinking at the screen. 

Dave made sure to make enough noise coming in that he wouldn’t startle them - he leaned over the back of the couch, “How’s it going guys?” He whispered. 

“Good - Kenzie’s asleep and we’re just watching cartoons, right Sally?”

She nodded but didn’t take her eyes off the screen. She was a girl of very few words and Dave could respect that. 

He smirked, “I think you’re going to be watching a lot of cartoons during your nights from now on.”

Ben glanced down at the child with a smile, “Yeah - I don’t mind. We’ll work our way up to soap operas eventually.”

Dave chuckled, “Fair enough - Well, I’m going to get some sleep. I’ll see you guys in the morning. Night Ben--” Instead of jostling Sally from her comfortable spot, Dave just stroked the side of her face lightly, “Night kiddo.”

“Sleep sweet, Dave…” She mumbled. 

“We’ll keep an eye on the house.”

Dave left them and cautiously opened the door to their bedroom, the light was on but that was pretty normal and he had assumed that Klaus would be passed out by this time. However, he found Klaus laying on his stomach at the end of the bed, staring into space.

“Hey, handsome - I thought you’d be asleep by now.” 

He looked up and smiled but didn’t say anything, only nuzzled further into the pillow. Dave tossed his wallet onto the dresser and stripped, pulling on a pair of sweats before crawling onto the bed, he flipped to the end of the mattress until he was laying on his side facing Klaus.

“You with me?” He asked softly. 

Klaus turned his head against the pillow until he was facing the other man, “Yeah - M’ just tired…”

Dave reached over and stroked his back, just lightly trailing his fingertips up and down his spine, his eyes watching the gentle motion as his nails brushed over the other man’s skin. Klaus’ eyes fluttered close and he sighed into the pillow. 

“Thank you…”

“For what?”

“For just - for this. And for protecting us.”

Dave huffed, “I don’t know how much ‘protecting’ you guys need - seems like you’ve got it handled.” As he spoke he continued to watch his fingers glide over Klaus’ skin, “But you know I’m happy to be here with you guys, even if it’s just for moral support.”

Klaus didn’t respond and for a moment Dave thought he had fallen asleep until he shifted and his eyes flashed open for a brief second, scanning over his face, then closing again. “You know you hold this family together, right?”

Dave hummed but didn’t respond.

“I am so happy that you came with me - I want to show you everything. I want to take you fishing--” He laughed, “I want to teach Kenzie and Sally how to fish and take them on hikes where I used to go with my uncle… Maybe even take them to the adventure park - can you imagine the kind of things Kenzie could get into over there?”

Klaus smiled. 

“I know you’re scared right now - and I know I’ve told you this a million times but everything’s going to be okay. Just let me--” He paused, “Let me take care of you for a little while…”

Klaus opened his eyes, “I love you, Dave…” He breathed.

Dave searched his face but only found it to be soft and relaxed, “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early posting! It's almost the holidays so my posting schedule may be back and forth but I plan to always get a chapter every three days but sometimes it might be earlier like this one !


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave's just trying to do some fishing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So this is just a little one shot that I wrote but wasn't intending on posting just because I'm trying to get through this section a little faster but I didn't get through with the next chapter so here we are! Sorry about that! I keep getting sick this year and it's really cramping my style lmao I hope that you enjoy anyway! Thank you so much for reading!

“Hey, I’m going to go fishing tomorrow morning, you want to come with?” Dave leaned against the doorway of their bedroom where Klaus was currently tangled up in a ball of yarn. He had decided to try knitting (for some reason) and it was certainly a work in progress.

They had been in the cabin for a while now and were completely settled into a vacation lifestyle. It was now late evening and everyone had settled down for the day.

Klaus looked up and shook out a knot from his stitch. He made an involuntary face at the suggestion, “That sounds lovely, but you know—I’ve got—I’ve got something pressing in the morning.” He raised his fist, “Dang it! If only you had told me earlier…”

“Is it sleep?”

“Yeah, it’s sleep.” Klaus admitted bluntly.

He then pressed a theatrical palm over his heart “Listen, you know I’m happy for you– and all the worm shit and fish blood and-“He grimaced, “Smelling like you’ve frenched a big mouth bass. Love it. But I think I’ll sit this one out.”

Dave had his arms crossed watching him with amusement, “Fair enough- You mind if I ask the kids?”

“Knock yourself out.”

Dave tapped on Kenzie’s door, there was an animated, one sided conversation happening on the other side. Whatever it was, it sounded very serious.

“Come in!”

He cracked it open and found her on the floor with a bunch of farm animal toys and dolls all spread out around her in groups. Dave noticed pointedly that the room smelled slightly of burnt plastic.

“Looks like they’re busy tonight- “He started, nodding towards the very specific of the toys, “Are they having a town hall meeting?”

She picked up a mostly naked barbie that she had drawn little funny symbols on, 

“They’re sacrificing to a dead god! For a good harvest. The queen said so.”

“Does that help?”

She shrugged, “She’s up for re-election – she doesn’t know.”

Dave snorted, “I see- just trying to expand her demographic?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And what’s all that? Is that a part of the ritual?” He asked, pointing to what he was more concerned with, which was the slightly melted plastic cow laying over a circle of burnt Legos.

She looked up at Dave sheepishly, “Cheeseburgers?”

“Ah. That makes sense. I was going to take the boat out tomorrow and do some fishing, you want to come?”

Her face lit up and she threw her arms out, “Yeah!”

“Awesome! We’re going to leave pretty early, are you going to be okay with that?”

She thought about it briefly, “Uh-huh! You’ll wake me up, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll wake you up.”

“Yay! I’m going to catch so many big fish!”

He grinned, “I’ll make sure to bring the big cooler.” Before he left, he put a finger up,   
“And no starting fires in the house, you know that – If they’re going to have sacrificial bonfires, they better have it out on the patio – understand?”

She groaned and rolled back, mirroring the exact way Klaus would go boneless when he was slightly inconvenienced. “Fine!”

“Thank you!” He said, shutting the door.

He shook his head as he walked away and went off to find the rest of the family, as he passed Ben, before he could say anything the ghost glanced up from his book and should his head, “Nope.”

Dave found Sally outside in the front yard; she was sitting in the bench swing, kicking her legs and swinging back and forth, her eyes were trained straight ahead, into the small patch of woods that circled the cabin.

She was humming to herself. Sally liked her space, probably from all those years completely alone. And although she was quite the cuddler, they discovered that she would still just walk off sometimes to do her own thing without warning, much to everyone’s concern.

“Whatcha doin’, kiddo?” Dave asked, settling against the side of the cabin.

“I’m watching.” Her head moved slightly, as if she were searching for something in the darkness.

“What are you watching for?” He followed her line of sight as best he could but wasn’t picking anything up.

“Mmm, the possum.”

Dave’s eyes fell on a bowl placed strategically in the middle of the yard, right around where a ghost would start losing their corporeal nature from Klaus. It was one of those situations where, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t let a child stay in the yard and feel wild animals, but Sally wasn’t exactly a normal child.

“What do you got out there for them?”

“They like the grapes. And they like the bananas. ”

Dave chuckled, “I bet they do. They’re going to get pretty spoiled with you here.”

“I like the possums – I always wanted to feed them at my swing, but I could never get the food.” Her voice was getting better, not so many breaks and lulls where she would cut out entirely.

“Yeah, possums are cute. What do you like about them?” He was trying to keep up a conversation. Something they all worked to achieve with the quietest baby in their house. 

Sally’s eyes got really big as she seemingly thought really hard about the question, “I like when they’re fat.” She said seriously. 

He smiled, “You keep feeding them the fancy stuff and I think you’ll get exactly what you want.”

She nodded. 

Hey, Kenzie and I are going fishing in the morning – would you like to come with us?”

The little ghost child made a face like she had just put a lemon in her mouth. The expression was so sudden and intense that it made Dave laugh. He put his hand over his mouth as she looked up and put a finger to her lips to shush him, presumably because she didn’t want him scaring any of the wildlife away.

“Sorry, sorry – Point taken. I’ll leave you alone, Just—” He paused, still feeling a strange uncertainty while interacting with Sally, “—Be careful. And don’t go too far, promise?”

She nodded, “Promise.”

“Thank you, have a good night, Sally.”

He went back inside, still smiling faintly, and mumbled to himself, “Well, One out of two ain’t bad.”

*******************************************************************

“Are the big fish here?” Kenzie tossed her line into the serene lake and reeled in gently just like Dave had taught her earlier in their vacation.

They were seated in a gorgeous little alcove in the middle of nowhere, a sturdy rock overhanging just a few feet above the lake. It was comfortable and cool - more importantly, the fish were always biting. It was a secret place that his uncle Brian used to take him fishing and now he was taking his own kid fishing. It was a dream come true, honestly, and Dave was soaking up every second of it. 

“You sound like you’re trying to win a contest.” Dave flicked his line in a little farther out. 

“Maybe - mostly I want to eat it!” She made a theatrical gobbling sound and Dave chuckled. 

“Well, if we get lucky today, you can definitely help me dress and cook up some fresh fish.”

Kenzie was actually a pretty good fisher, she had the drive and the patience to get what she wanted and she was aggressive when it came to reeling them in and putting them in the bucket. After their first fishing trip, she was hooked and had been coming with Dave ever since - and it looked like they may be the only outdoors people in the family. 

However, learning how to just stay silent was something she still needed a lot of practice with; not that Dave minded, he enjoyed just spending time with her and he found her explanations, stories, and observations to be comforting. 

They had gotten a few fish and were just recasting their lines when Kenzie looked up seriously and asked out of nowhere, “Why aren’t you and momma married?”

Dave had to compose himself as that question came out of left field - a moment ago she had been talking about all of Nora’s barn cats so where did this come from? 

“Uh - I don’t know, I guess we haven’t talked about it before. Why?” He instinctively patted his pocket, “Did you - uh - find something?”

She shrugged, seemingly very casual despite the fact that Dave’s blood pressure had started to rise, “I don’t know - A lot of my friends parents are married and they wear rings and stuff.”

“Yeah, like Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson?”

“Uh-huh.”

Dave reeled on where this was coming from, a little concerned by how sharp Kenzie tended to be at the most unexpected times, “Is that-- something that you would want? For us to get married?”

“And have a big party!? WIth dresses and music - yeah!”

“Yeah, a big party would be fun but marriage is a really big deal - it’s a big step in a relationship - that’s probably why we haven’t talked about it yet.”

“Cause you might get divorced?” 

“What?” Dave floundered a little even as Kenzie casually brought in her empty line, the bait now. 

She frowned at the hook, “They ate it… Can you- can you put it back on? I don’t like the squishies.”

“Uh- Yeah, sure…” Dave put another worm on her hook and she waited patiently, kicking her legs gently against the rock. After he was done she cast her line out and smiled as it plopped into the water. 

“Kenzie, what were you saying before?”

“About what?”

“You said that we might get divorced - where did you hear that from?”

“Oh! Rory’s dad left after they got divorce and she hasn’t seen him. And her momma and dad were married but now it’s just her mom.”

Dave, who was now suddenly trapped in the wilderness with a child asking the tough life questions, was quickly beginning to agree with Klaus that maybe they should have homeschooled longer. He cringed lightly, now having trouble focusing on his own fishing and no doubt, his line was probably empty now as well. 

“That’s a tough situation but if your father and I were to get married that wouldn’t necessarily mean that we would get divorced. In the same way that if we don’t get married, we could still split up.” He cringed, now thinking that may have been the scarier explanation. 

“But--” He continued quickly at the way her face fell, “IF, something like that were to happen, if we no longer got along with each other, which I hope that never happens - that would never change the fact that I care about you and that I’m always going to have your back - and i guarantee that your momma would agree with me on that.”

“So you wouldn’t leave?”

“I need you to understand that this is all VERY hypothetical - your momma and I very much love each other, in fact, I hope soon that - well, never mind that but no, your momma loves you very much and I love you very much and if things were to change between us, I would still love you, and your uncle Ben, and Sally, and even your momma.”

“Relationships and families evolve all the time but the fact that I always have your back will not change.”

She looked up and once again Dave was struck by how similar she looked to her father, “You promise?”

He held out his fist and she bumped it with her own smaller fist, “I promise.”

He shifted in his seat, sighed and began to reel in the useless line, feeling proud of himself for handling that with only minimal panic “Any other big questions before we move on?”

“Where do babies come from?”

“NOPE.”


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys...

Hey! So I ended up deleting the last chapter, **I did save all of your lovely comments (I really don't like the fact that comments get deleted too)** but I just really didn't like it that much and I feel like I can do a lot better... I had originally planned on taking a break after I get to the end of the "planned" storyline which would have been in like 4 chapters but I think I'm going to have to take a break earlier. I ended up having to do this surprise move and even though I thought I could, I can't seem to focus on both writing and all of the shit happening in the rest of my life. 

So, as much as I hate to do this, I'm going to take a 2-3 week break from posting just so I can get some things together and I can actually post things that I like, I will be writing the whole time so hopefully I will be ahead when I start again. Again, I am really sorry about dropping this in the middle of everything but I don't think that anything I'm writing has been worth actually posting. 

Thank you guys so much for everything and I will see you again in a few weeks!!


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a big moment under the Texas stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit!! I'm back! Thank you guys for being so patient with me! I am excited to finish up this story! I am much happier with how this chapter turned out the second time around and I hope that you guys enjoy it! I'll be back on the every two days schedule for the foreseeable future! Thank you so much for reading!!

_Dave glanced around at his apartment - it was late evening and the sun had already gone down. In the farthest corner, Ben was sitting with his legs crossed reading intently, his head resting on his palm. There was loud music coming from Kenzie’s room - a moment later her door opened; she and Sally plodded out and rushed pass the couch. They plopped to the floor in the basket filled with toys next to the TV, they chatted and giggled as the pulled out whatever toy they were looking for to complete their little plays._

_Klaus was laying down over the couch, his head in Dave’s lap - in the perfect position for him to absently brush through the dark curls. His eyes were peeled on the screen and he chuckled as someone splashed a glass of champagne into someone else's face in the cheesy reality TV show he had picked out for the night._

_Dave was having trouble focusing on the program, his mind was simultaneously far away and basking in the stark present moment. The chaos somehow culminated into a unified chorus of their life - between the women yelling at each other on the TV, the girls giggling, the indie pop wafting from the kid’s room, the steady turning of Ben’s pages and the Klaus’ amused hums and throaty laughs as he watched the screen - all backed by the distant sounds of the city outside._

_It was impossible to remember the cold silence that used to consume the walls of this apartment - it was just a distant memory that couldn’t invade his veins anymore._

_“Have you ever wanted to get married?” Dave’s voice was low and forcefully casual._

_“Sure- “ He laughed, “I feel bad for the fool who’d want to marry me though.”_

_Dave’s eyes landed back on the screen where a very upset woman with so much makeup was doing a talking head, pointing accusations at the camera._

_“Hm.” He responded thoughtfully._

***********************************************************************************************************

“Momma, where do babies come from?” Kenzie leaned forward from the backseat as their car turned off the paved highway and onto a dirt road. 

Sally was staring at an Ipad not paying any attention to the conversation or events happening around them but Ben literally leaned away from his niece and the content of her sudden question that came out of nowhere. 

Klaus sighed and brought his legs up to his chest, getting comfortable in the passenger side seat, “People with vaginas shove ‘em out.” he said, matter-of-factly, flipping through the radio stations with his free hand. 

“Did I come from a vagina?”

He glanced behind his seat nonchalantly, “Yeah - Yeah, you came from hell’s vagina, pumpkin.”

Kenzie nodded smugly, “Sweet.” 

Then just like that she continued to squirm against her seatbelt, watching the countryside fly past them, impatiently kicking her legs out. “There’s so many cows…” She observed, then continued idly talking to Sally and Ben about anything and everything that was coming through her head. 

Dave glanced over to his boyfriend and shook his head with an impressed smirk. Klaus winked at him and continued to mess with the radio even though they were currently turning into Nora and Alyssa’s driveway. 

As he got out of the driver’s seat, Dave turned back, closing his eyes and taking a deep inhale. He patted the small square outline in his pocket for the hundredth time that week, just making sure that it was still there. No one seemed to notice this, Kenzie was scrambling out of the car and Ben was trying to coax the Ipad away from the ghost child. 

Klaus came around to his side just as their little fireball escaped and ran towards the house where Nora had just come out and was standing on their slightly bare front porch. He instinctively pulled an arm around his partner’s waist, careful not to touch Rot-rot’s vessel which was hanging by it’s little arm from Klaus’ hand. 

He sighed, “I can’t believe I’m on blood demon duty-- This is why pets are overrated, the parents just end up taking care of them even though the kids are the ones that want them!”

“Better than him getting into the vents again and making the whole house smell like rotting meat.”

Klaus made a face at the memory along with a short “uagh.” Tucking the lightly clattering doll under his arm and glancing over at where Kenzie was pointing to a moderately sized pig pen where the animals were lumbering around lazily in their muck and Nora seemed to be explaining the several types of animals they had out on the farm.

The place was vibrating with activity and animal sounds - chickens, pigs, a few cows, a couple horses farther away, a donkey and a few small goats running around. Not to mention the cats meandering around, all of them drawing closer and closer to the demon child on the porch and the dogs which had to be penned up while Kenzie was visiting (Klaus learned very quickly that dogs and demons didn’t mix)

Klaus chuckled as a small goat made a beeline for the porch and began to nuzzle against Kenzie’s hand. She giggled and happily began to pet the needling animal with delight while Nora watched with some vague confusion. 

“Maybe it knows my baby-daddy?”

They were coming to the end of their vacation and Klaus finally seemed somewhat relaxed at his sister’s home. He was in a sarong skirt and a light tank top, he had been growing his hair out and it now fell to his jawline. He turned back to face Dave for a brief moment and it stopped the other man in his tracks. 

“Let’s party!” He did a lazy cheer and began to make his way towards the house while Dave watched him go. He jumped with a yelp when a chicken ruffled its feathers suddenly and made a loud bawking sound, Klaus shook himself and shot a sheepish look back towards his boyfriend.

Dave patted his pocket and swallowed nervously. 

***********************************************************************************************************

Their evening was surprisingly quiet, Nora had set up the fire pit with a round of stumps for chairs and gotten hot dogs and the ingredients for s’mores. Dave felt bad that he was so distracted, it was a special moment, seeing his sister with Kenzie and Sally - as they explored the farm and talked around the fire but his mind was far off and his nerves were shot. 

He wished that his uncle Brian could have been here - despite everything, he did miss him even if he felt bad about it. He shouldn’t have been so surprised by how quickly he turned on his own nephew but that didn’t mean that his words didn’t hurt. Not that it even mattered, Nora was rarely on speaking terms with their uncle Brian anyway. 

He didn’t want to think about that. 

“It’s getting pretty late, we should head home soon.” Ben stated, calmly at a certain point and Dave’s stomach dropped as he realized how long he had been putting this off. 

Ben’s suggestion was met by a wave of arguments from the children who were having the time of their lives chasing lightning bugs and jumping into the ghost stories that were being passed around the fire. 

“Look, you’ll thank me after all your sleeping schedules are messed up for a month.”

“Narc.” Is all Klaus replied with - he was busy pulling a marshmallow onto a stick. The open bag next to him on a stump crinkled as an invisible force tried to stealthily burrow it’s chubby little body into the bag. 

“No marshmallows for you - you little sugar addict.” Klaus pulled something out then closed the bag. Dave could only imagine the indignant little blood fiend sitting on the stump after being denied marshmallows for the fifth time that night. 

“I’ll be right back…” 

“M’kay…” Klaus was watching his marshmallow go up in flames and critically waiting for the perfect moment to blow it out. 

Dave left the fire and went into the house, he glanced behind him before he shut the door and patted the box in his pocket one last time. He shouldn’t have been this scared but he was nonetheless and he didn’t know why, didn’t know if it was normal or if this was some deep rooted self hatred cropping up again. 

Either way, he found his way to the kitchen and opened up the fridge. He went directly for the bottom drawer where his sister kept the beer and pulled one out - he opened it and started drinking it as quickly as he could, desperately trying to shave off the edge as his time was running out. 

He was about half way through it when he heard someone clear their throat and he jumped, looking towards the entryway. Ben was standing there with his arms crossed, his head was tilted and he was staring at Dave with both confusion and slight amusement.

“You good?”

Dave felt like a teenager being caught with alcohol for the first time, “Uh - yeah, I mean-” He cleared his throat, “Sorry. I’m just trying to take the edge off a little.” Then he added, “Please don’t tell Klaus?”

“You’re an adult, you can do what you want.” Ben was trying to sound unbothered but Dave could sense that he was a little worried, no doubt because of his history with alcohol, both with Klaus and Klaus’ past partners. 

Dave sighed and poured the rest out in the sink. It didn’t taste that good anyway. He glanced out the window and could see everybody else around the fire, could see Sally sitting on Klaus’ lap while Kenzie seemed to be poking things into the flames. 

“What’s going on?”

Dave and Ben were always honest with each other so it had been difficult for him to keep this from the ghost. He didn’t realize how close they had become until he tried to hide something from the guy he would always go to to vent. 

“Look, I probably should have talked to you about this first anyway.” Dave opened his mouth and closed it, thinking carefully. This just always seemed like such a delicate subject in this family. 

“I want to ask Klaus to marry me - And I’ve been putting it off for a while but I want to do it tonight.” He laughed, “I guess my nerves got the better of me.”

To his surprise, Ben’s face lit up “Holy shit, that’s great!”

“Yeah? So, you’re okay with it? Look, I feel bad about not talking to you first. I was raised with the whole ‘ask for the parent’s blessing before proposing’ and in hindsight I should have just asked for yours since you’re one of the most important people in his life.”

“That’s debatable but Kenzie for sure would have spilled the beans after 30 seconds.” He laughed, “But as for if I’m okay with it - hell yeah, are you kidding me? Klaus made his first credit card payment last month. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me - Us--I mean to him” He quickly corrected himself. “--And I’d be honored to have you as my brother in law.”

Dave smiled, “That means a lot coming from you, Ben. But I’m worried that this isn’t the right thing to do. I’m worried that it’ll scare him off.”

“Klaus loves you, and no matter what fucked up things he’s got in his head I’m sure you guys will be able to work through it. And as for if it’s the right thing to do? What made you want to ask him in the first place?”

Dave glanced outside and watched as Klaus stood up, stretched and walked out towards the middle of the yard. “I guess, one day I just realized that he’s the only person I want to spend my life with so-- what am I waiting for, you know?”

************************************************************************************************************

_Dave was sitting slightly hunched over a 5000 piece puzzle splayed out over the kitchen island. He had decided to take some time off to work through some things as suggested by his therapist, however, he was literally out of projects to work on and Klaus was probably going to flip out if he built another bookcase so here he was, working on a particularly difficult puzzle depicting a pack of wolves against a snowy background._

_He was stuck on a particular wolf and had a pile of pieces separated, sorting through them trying to find the right piece when the front door opened and Klaus came in like a gust of wind. He dragged himself through the house, tugging off his scarf with a long sigh._

_“You would not believe the day that I’ve had - This lady came in asking me to do an exorcism on this music box--” His hands waved idly in the air, “Said it was a ‘family heirloom’ that had gotten mixed up with some bad juju or whatever. So I humbly obliged only to find out after I had already opened it - that it was possessed by the spirit of her fucking baba yaga type ancestor which she wanted to release to fuck up her cheating ex.”_

_He groaned, “So, of course it immediately flew back into my face and possessed me!”_

_“Been yakking and shaking all day…” He shuddered._

_Dave watched him as he opened the fridge and pulled out a root beer, twisting off the cap and tossing it into the sink, he put a hand up and continued, “Luckily - Liev and Nova brought me a banana split for lunch so you know--” He circled his stomach with his hands and made a face, “It didn’t want to be ‘up in this’ for very long. Ended up having to release it into the wind.” He snorted, “I’m sure that won’t come back to haunt me.”_

_He chuckled and plopped a small spray bottle onto the island, “Here - If I wake up in the middle of the night super pissed at some dude named Chandler just spritz me a couple times in the face with that.”_

_Klaus draped an arm around Dave, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. With his free hand he reached down, picked up a piece and slotted it perfectly into the empty space Dave had been struggling with for the past 20 minutes._

_Dave’s mouth opened but he didn’t have a chance to say anything before Klaus took another sip of his soda and asked sincerely, “Do we have any TUMS?”_

_Dave sat back and stared at him in awe - he blinked and then knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was going to have to marry this man._

*******************************************************************************************************

“You’re both so weird.” Ben said with a smirk, “But maybe that’s why you’re so good in this family.” He walked up and patted Dave on the back, “Whatever you choose to do, you have my blessing.”

“Thank you.” 

He gave the ghost a quick hug then immediately found an extra tooth brush and tried to get rid of the scent of alcohol on his breath before taking a deep breath and going back outside. He found Klaus standing in the middle of the front yard alone, everyone else seemed to be doing other things. 

Dave moved forward slowly towards the middle of the yard, Klaus’ eyes were turned up at the night sky like it was the first time he had ever seen it. He didn’t blame him, it was beautiful out here in the outskirts of the city where the light pollution was minimal. Dave used to look up from his apartment window and long for the ability to see the stars with the same kind of clarity that he had when he was a child. 

Now, under the blanket of a gorgeous, never ending sky that he had missed so much, he couldn’t take his eyes off Klaus and the way he stared up as if he were reading the stars and they didn’t make any sense. 

He shuffled closer, feeling mesmerized by the scene in front of him - sometimes the world around him seemed distant and fake. Like everything was separated by a thin sheet of glass but in this moment he could feel everything and it felt real and warm. 

Klaus glanced at him and sighed longingly, “You’re right - It’s beautiful…”

He looked away and continued to soak up the clear summer, country sky. 

Dave patted the box in his pocket, “Klaus?”

“Hm?”

He kicked himself, he wasn’t good at this - finally Klaus’ eyes left the sky and landed on him. “Klaus, I- You know that I wouldn’t know what to do without you, right?”

Klaus glanced around, slightly confused, “Are you okay?”

“I just need you to know that you’re everything to me - you know that I love you but sometimes I worry that you don’t understand everything. Before I met you I was stuck in the cold and then you showed up and- and it was like you brought the sun back into the sky.”

He cringed, he had written down what he wanted to say but now he was forgetting it, “I’m sorry if that doesn’t make any sense - What I’m trying to say is--” He put his hands up, “My life with you means everything to me and I know sometimes I’m stuck in the past and I’m sorry about that but I know that in 50 years the only things that’ll matter will be the memories that I’ve created with you -”

He pulled his fingers through his hair nervously, he could feel his face heating up with every word. Klaus stared at him, mouth slightly agape. 

“And I know that this isn’t just for you - so I want you to know that no matter what you say - it doesn't matter what you choose - the promises don’t end whether or not you say yes - I just won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t make it clear now that I want to spend my life with you- I want to be there for you and for Kenzie for the rest of my life.”

“David, what are you doing?” Klaus’ voice broke. 

He got down on one knee and pulled out the little box that had been stuffed in his pocket for the past 5 months, he opened it to reveal a humble gold and emerald ring. 

“Klaus, will you marry me?”

Klaus whined and his arm lifted to cover his face, he stumbled away for a moment then came back to face Dave offering the ring. 

“Are you sure?” He asked, in a broken whisper. 

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

Klaus’ face twisted in emotions and he rubbed at his eyes before taking a deep breath and stepping forward, “Christ on a cracker, Dave - I - I mean, yes. Yes , I’ll marry you - you poor fool.”

Dave felt a rush of relief that almost toppled him over, instead he stood up and opened his arms as Klaus rushed forward, curling into his chest with a soft whimper that he wasn’t expecting. He pulled back and cupped his face in a motion that had become so common in his life but always reminisced to the first time he had kissed him, years ago in that hotel room. 

Klaus stepped back again before finally hesitantly reaching out and plucking the ring out of the box and holding it out in the moonlight. He watched as it glinted beautifully, pressing one palm against his chest, “It’s beautiful, I- “

“I’M KING OF THE CATS!” Kenzie rushed past them, arms out victoriously- a small herd of lovestruck barn cats trailing intently behind her - yowling like someone had opened a can of food. They eagerly ran after the demon child, either in instinctual reverence to the dark powers or because she had a pack of hotdogs - probably a little of both. 

Sally was giggling hysterically at the edge of one of the barns - apparently she was standing at the finale of the race and was waving a piece of cloth like she was an official flagman in a Nascar event. 

Klaus’ head snapped back at the sound and before he could continue the sentence, the ring vanished before Dave’s eyes and Klaus jumped like he had been shot. “You little shitheel!” He snapped and bolted away, presumably after Rot-rot. 

And just like that their quiet evening turned into something more their speed. Dave ran after him, having no visual que for the situation, although, he understood it pretty well at this point. Klaus hit the side of the pig pen and vaulted over it with surprising speed before Dave could even reach out and yell for him to stop. 

Klaus landed in the muck, “Motherfucker!” He snapped and dove forward, grabbing at the blood fiend in the mud and filth. He slipped and fell around as the small demon skirted through his fingers and then got stuck in the muck. 

“I’m about to put you up for adoption, you little --” His hands were wrapped around something and he seemed to be digging into its mouth. 

“Klaus - Be careful--” The pigs were getting up and meandering to the scene in front of them - nervously acknowledging the blood fiend that was up in their business. 

“What’s going on!?” Kenzie and Sally had stopped their playing and were now staring at Klaus wrestling the round fiend. The cats caught up to her and she truly did look like some kind of feline child demi-god with the way they seemed to be yowling and rubbing against her legs, getting into fights over who was closest. 

They rushed forward to get a better view of the pig pen. 

Two of Klaus’ fingers disappeared then they reappeared and he was holding a goopy emerald ring, “Got it!” He looked over proudly and his eyes widened, “No, no, no - Don’t bring the cats - Kenzie, don’t bring the --”

A split second later the herd of barn cats were jumping over the fence at the attention of their little hell messiah, directly into the muck, covering Klaus in felines and a new spray of mud. They immediately began attacking something that Dave couldn’t see and Kenzie crawled through the pen before he could stop her. 

Nora and Alyssa were already running over to see what the hell was going on - Dave was strangely proud of being able to showcase just how strange his little family was to his sister since he was pretty sure she thought he was making a lot of this shit up. 

“He liquified! Here- Just grab everything- we’ll try to find all his bits…” Klaus mumbled, annoyed.

He had slipped the ring on and Dave a brief moment to appreciate how it looked before he was scooping up mud soon joined by the girls who started to catch all of Rot-rot’s defensively liquified body. 

Dave laughed, he couldn’t help it and he laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. He glanced up at the never ending clear sky then jumped over the fence and landed in the muck with the rest of his family where he belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S Just wanted to acknowledge how happy and proud I am of Elliot Page! I am so happy for him!!


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did you know - you and me must be fireproof with all the flames between our sheets."- Coleman Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This chapter is based on the prompt given to me by the lovely Kimbasprite who asked - 
> 
> _"So, I still think about how you had Dave and Klaus meet in this story. Their interactions in the hotel were extremely intimate even though no sex was involved. I kind of want to see more of that? Like, just the idea of Klaus trying to initiate something with Dave because sex is something he's very confident in, but emotional intimacy on an emotional level is still kind of uncharted territory for him in some ways.--but their intimacy and getting to the point of sexual intimacy with all of their past hangups would be something interesting to see in this story's context."_  
>  I loved this prompt! Thank you so much for it and for being so patient as it took a lot longer than expected to post! Thanks for reading and I hope that you all enjoy!

Dave and Klaus shuffled into the cabin; their shoes tracking in mud and all manner of undesirable things onto their floor and the rug just inside the front door. They had the freedom of being fully transparent about the looks on their faces ( tired and stunned ) because the kids and Ben were currently at Nora and Alyssa’s place. The couple apparently thought they owed them this at least. 

Klaus was pulling clothes off of his sweaty, sticky body a few feet inside, nearly twisting an ankle as he attempted to wigging out of his shoes without bending over or loosening them. Dave was behind him, barely registering the almost injury - patient enough to wait until they got into their bedroom before starting to strip. 

A few moments later they were standing next to the bed naked; Klaus sauntered up to his fiance, wearing only the emerald engagement ring which had surprisingly lost none of it’s beauty throughout it’s highly unorthodox journey to get to Klaus’ finger. He wrapped his arms around Dave’s neck and they both cringed at the unpleasant smells that became more potent as their bodies touched. 

“God, you’re such a handsome bastard…” Dave skimmed his thumb over the side of his Fiance’s face, smearing the mysterious brown marks in a trail down to his jaw, despite the mess- his cheeks were full and healthy and his eyes were big and bright. Dave couldn’t get enough of the way he glowed, the way the sharp angles of his features softened under a nourished lifestyle. 

***********************************************************************************************

_“I’m gonna blow your mind…” Klaus pushed a slightly surprised Dave backwards onto his makeshift bed._

_Kenzie and Ben were with Vanya and he had insisted that Dave come over - the thought made his stomach do backflips in anticipation. They hadn’t been dating for very long, Dave still actively having to remind himself, understanding the way he became very annoying, very quickly with the way he couldn’t stop telling people about his boyfriend._

_Klaus’ bedroom was a small cramped area with a full size mattress and box spring on the floor with no frame. Lots of hanging lights and clothes hanging everywhere along with random art scattered around the walls. The bed looked cozy with a heavy old worn out comforter and pillows - a few normal pillows with mismatching cases along with a unicorn pillow, a rainbow poop emoji plushie and a fuzzy blue body pillow._

_Klaus moved on top of him, this was nothing like the first time, this time he kissed him desperately, more forcefully, like he couldn’t stand to not be touching him, like he was about to explode with need. Dave obliged, the feelings very much mirrored, heat and desperation for every single electric touch shot through his veins._

_However, even through the flames that seemed to spark, sudden and hot - Dave’s mind wondered, it wondered to the still visible boot print that blossomed over his partner’s ribs - it traced over the yellow and black bruising still spreading down the right side of his face that trailed down his shoulder and the painfully noticeable weight loss. He cringed._

_Klaus didn’t seem to notice and was tugging off Dave’s shirt and urgently undoing his pants, his hands seemed to be shaking and uncoordinated. He palmed Dave and he had no choice but to let his head fall back with a moan._

_He inhaled and attempted to catch Klaus’ hands in his own, “Sweetheart - Hey, Klaus, look at me.”_

_Klaus’ eyes were wide and distracted, Dave suddenly couldn’t tell if he was aroused or if he was on the verge of a panic attack._

_“Yeah, what’s up?” Klaus said through a shaky exhale._

_Dave let him go and reached up to stroke the side of his face, careful not to press against the bruising. Close up, in the dim lighting he looked green, sickly with pronounced cheekbones and a flushed neck, “Klaus, I think you need to take it easy.”_

_His face scrunched up in response, “What? No - No, I’m fine-” He laughed breathlessly, “I’m a big boy, I can take it, I promise.”_

_“I don’t want you to ‘take it’. You look like you’re in pain - Seriously, Klaus - you know, I’m fine with just being here - we don’t have to push it.”_

_Klaus rolled off of him with a pronounced wince and sharp inhale as he landed uncomfortable on the bed, swinging his legs off and leaning strangely to the side to accommodate his ribs, “Fantastic.” He said sarcastically._

_Then he started laughing, Dave wasn’t sure at what but it wasn’t a joyful laugh, more like a forced cackle that escaped his throat through force, “Isn’t it so stupid- “ He talked through the unerving giggles, “There were so many times during our long ‘will they won’t they’ phase where I thought a dam was going to break and we were just going to have wild animal sex and now we’re finally dating--” He cringed, “And I can’t even fuck you.”_

_“Klaus.”_

_“--I’m just saying! It would be so stupid to lose you because I can’t even… Do the one thing that I’m good at.”_

_Dave studied the other man, this was still new to him, Klaus was still new to him but it still hurt to see the way he deflated against how Dave’s eyes scanned over the marks on his skin. “Klaus--” He began hesitantly, “Did you have a bad night? Is that why Vanya’s got Kenz’?”_

_Klaus swallowed, staring at the floor. He nodded._

_“Ah.”_

_“Look, I get that, this is something you’re more used to than I am - and maybe it’s something that you use to cope but I don’t want to put you in pain. I’m an easy man to please - “ He tried to smirk to lighten the mood, “I just want to be here with you.”_

_Dave reached out and gently rubbed Klaus' un-battered shoulder, the other man leaned into the touch._

_“I’m sorry…” He finally admitted._

_“Hey, don’t apologize. Come here - “ Dave flattened out the pillows and leading Klaus to lay gingerly onto his back._

_He sighed and rolled his head back against the soft surface, closing his eyes. Dave used the rainbow poop emoji pillow to prop himself up on his side and he leaned over, tracing soft kisses up Klaus’ neck and over his tender face until he got to his lips. They kissed slowly and softly for a while until Dave cut it off by stroking his finger’s through Klaus’ hair._

_“You wanna talk about it?”_

_Klaus shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and shifting sideways against Dave’s chest - the other man responded by simply pulling an arm around him. Gingerly avoiding his injuries and ghosting touches along his side._

_“I just wanna - I want - I don’t want you to go anywhere.”_

_Dave layed down, letting his boyfriend press against him as comfortably as he could, he responded only by dragging a blanket over them and pulling him tighter to his body._

*********************************************************************************************

“God, you stink so bad, right now.” Dave added, his face breaking into a grin. 

They both broke out into loud relieved laughter and Klaus let his head fall against Dave’s shoulder, they swayed back and forth to an invisible rhythm. “You don’t exactly smell like a box of roses yourself, Katz.”

“Come on, sexy - “ He gently slapped Dave’s ass and pulled him towards the bathroom. 

Dave stared at his bare body in the mirror while Klaus turned on the shower head and adjusted the temperature. He was covered in dirt, maneuer, and possibly rotting food but he couldn’t help the smile that just wouldn’t fade from his face especially as Klaus moved behind him and wrapped his arms around his middle, pressing a kiss against his neck. 

His hands wandered up and down his torso, ignoring the marks and the stench - Dave found himself following his fiance’s hands as he explored over him affectionately. He liked the way their bodies contrasted in the bathroom lights - their bodies were built differently and he found himself lost in the visual of Klaus pressed against him. 

In those fluorescent lights everything seemed so visceral and real - his body felt real and he had the freedom to love the way it looked when Klaus’ hands palmed over him. He turned away from the mirror to face the other man and kiss him slowly. It didn’t smell great but they both pushed past that in favor the familiar sweet taste of their partner’s lips. 

When the shower was heated up they both sighed as they got under the stream, the hot water barreling against the muck and grime they had accumulated over the course of this fantastic day. Klaus wasted no time in lathering up the loofah, he turned Dave around and started scrubbing the lavender scented bubbles over his skin. He methodically turned his fiance around in the water and washed away the dirt, rubbing in small foamy circles over Dave’s skin. 

Dave was thankful that he was used to this now, he was used to how comfortable Klaus was in these moments and the way he loved to take care of him here - he wondered if he had always been like that or if this was something he reserved just for Dave. 

He obediently lowered his head back when he heard the pop of the shampoo bottle. A moment later Klaus’ fingers were working their way through his hair, scratching at his scalp and tugging through his curls. He sighed, feeling his eyes rolling to the back of his head in contentment and leaning backwards against the other man for support.

He was lost in the sensations when Klaus pulled him around to face him under the water - his eyes scanned over his exposed body with a soft smile. When their eyes met again, Klaus exhaled slowly, “You’re beautiful.”

*******************************************************************************************************

_“I’m so glad you’re home - I’m about to throw hands with this pigeon that’s been eyeing me the ENTIRE way here and I need you to back me up on--” Klaus stopped just inside of Dave’s bedroom as he caught a glimpse of bare ass._

_“Shit! Sorry!” Dave was standing near the closet and he grabbed the clothes that were on the floor around him and covered up his crotch and back clumsily. He still had his back turned to the other man, his head down._

_“Sorry - Sorry, I’ll be ready in just a few.” He stuttered out, still not looking at his partner._

_Klaus tilted his head, a small smirk on his face, “Honey, your bits and baubles aren’t going to offend me.”_

_Dave huffed out a nervous laugh, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He didn’t drop the dirty shirts from around his waist or turn around._

_”I find it hard to believe that the soldier firefighter man has never stripped in front of another man, even if it was in the boys locker room with all the other manly men pretending not to look at each other’s junk.”_

_“I mean, yeah, I guess it just seems different with you, you know? I don’t want to..” He trailed off._

_Klaus took a step forward, his eyes scanned over Dave’s tense shoulders and the slight way his shoulders seemed to be shivering, his skin was dark around his neck, smeared with something black. “Did you - Did you just get back from an all nighter?”_

_Klaus felt bad that he didn’t know this, they were still pretty new as a couple and he found himself worried about the separation between them as they balanced their relationship between two apartments. Moments like these concerned him the most, feeling like he didn’t have the whole picture, getting the idea that something was wrong but he didn’t know what or how to help._

_“Yeah.” He finally admitted, turning around with a sheepish expression on his face, dark soot outlining where his mask had been. He looked exhausted, hsi hair was smokey and dull and there were lines of sweat still visible through the darkened skin, trailing down his neck. “Sorry - I usually change in the bathroom - I keep forgetting that other people have a key now.” He said, attempting to push humor into his voice._

_Klaus cupped his hands over his heart, “Sweetheart - You want some help with that?”_

_“What?”_

_“Let me help you clean up - You look exhausted.”_

_He didn’t answer so Klaus just continued, taking a cautious step toward the other man, “Look, I get that we haven’t fucked yet - I promise I won’t peek.”_

_Dave looked down towards the floor.  
“There’s nothing wrong with your body, even in this context.” His voice was deep, serious and to the point as he spoke. _

_Dave tilted his head curiously towards his boyfriend._

_A few moments later he added in a lighter tone, “Plus you’ve seen me naked - you remember that, right? When I suavely pronounced my love to you after murdering a man and sobbed into your shoulder, that time I bled all over your bathroom? Charming, I know.”_

_Dave huffed, his shoulders relaxing slightly, “Yeah - Okay.”_

_Klaus clapped and danced forward, finally getting a better look at Dave’s face - he clasped their hands together causing him to drop the shirt covering his ass. “Come on... “ Klaus led him into the bathroom and seated him on the toilet while he started a bath. Dave watched him with cautious amusement._

_When Dave finally lowered himself into the hot water covered in a ridiculous amount of bubbles (Where did he even find those? Did he just keep them everywhere he went?), his taut, painfully strained muscles melted into the steam. He sighed, closing his eyes and gently gathering the bubbles around his body._

_He jumped when he felt a wash rag stroke across his face, his eyes snapped open and he found himself a few inches from Klaus’ face. His expression was soft and nurturing which Dave only saw from him on certain occasions, with Kenzie but if any of his siblings were near it would be tainted with a performing twinkle in his eyes._

_“Sorry.” Klaus continued to wipe away the grime, washing away at the sweat clogging his pores._

_He was so exhausted after the night- a work filled with danger and life threatening consequences kept him on his toes but it left him drained. Left him unable to put on a face. He closed his eyes, relishing the way Klaus touched him and worked through his knotted muscles._

_Dave felt pliable and limp when Klaus finally placed a palm on his shoulder and turned him around. A moment later his boyfriend’s fingers were moving through his hair, rinsing out the smoke and then washing out the curls methodically, letting his nails scratch softly against his scalp._

_He drifted away._

_When he woke up, Klaus' arms were draped over his shoulders and he was rocking back and forth, still on his knees just next to the tub. Dave wanted to say something but he didn’t know what and he certainly didn’t expect for Klaus to cup his jaw and hum tenderly._

_“You’re beautiful.” He breathed and pressed a sweet kiss against Dave’s cheek._

*************************************************************************************************************

Dave grabbed Klaus’ face and kissed him in earnest. They had been under the shower for a while now and time was slipping past them as they tried to get the mess from their engagement off their bodies and it took both of them to do so but now the space between them seemed tense, impatient and primal. 

Dave stroked his hand over his fiance’s hand, noting the emerald glint on his finger that so perfectly mirrored the eyes of the man he loved. 

Klaus bit his lip and smirked, their eyes opened and they stared for several moments before, without conversation needed, they were shuffling quickly out of the shower. Klaus nearly ate it as he stumbled out of the tub and Dave caught his arm, helping him over the edge. 

They dried off in a mad dash, leaving the towels crumpled damp on the floor. Klaus made it to the bed first, plopping down onto his back and scrambling backwards as Dave fished in the bedside drawer and tossed lube and a condom onto the bed next to him. 

He crawled on top of Klaus and was immediately pulled into a hungry kiss that left him desperate and breathless, after an entire evening of keeping their hands off of each other the fire was immediately ignited between them and they took advantage of the rare opportunity where they didn’t have to be quiet or hide under the blankets.

Dave pressed Klaus’ wrists down against the blanket causing him to growl and squirm underneath him. Before he grabbed the lube or the condom or moved forward, he raised up, admiring the way Klaus was splayed out beneath him. He leaned down and sucked a red mark on to his fiance’s collarbone. 

Klaus whined impatiently. 

“I love you so much… I need you..” Dave growled the words getting lost in another sparking kiss. 

Klaus rolled his shoulders back and laughed, he closed his eyes and repeated blissfully, “I love you so much…”

**********************************************************************************************************

_“Holy shit…” Klaus murmured with a soft giggle of bliss. He raised his arm up and exhaled, catching his breath. He closed his eyes, feeling the way Dave laughed as he crawled back into bed and curled around his side. He laid his head on Klaus’ chest comfortably with his hand palmed against his stomach, steadying the rapid rise and fall._

_Dave hummed against his skin and inhaled deeply, a moment later his fingers are trailing up and down Klaus’ arm, staring at the way his skin is contrasted in their darkened bedroom, the way the soft blush spread around his neck and cheeks._

_He watched as Dave’s palm spread over his chest and trailed back down his body - the intense fire and electricity was gone, spent up and used in an evening of desperate passion and now his touch felt like an anchor as his mind floated above the clouds. They were finally living in the same apartment and for the first time in forever he felt secure in where he was, safe._

_“God, you’re beautiful.” Dave’s voice lilted through the room._

_Klaus almost winced at the sound of the words, instead he audibly laughed and shook his head._

_Dave continued, “You know I’m thankful, right? I’m so, so grateful that you’re here with me. Hm… Never deserved this…” He mumbled into Klaus’ skin._

_A painful lump formed in the back of Klaus’ throat and he swallowed hard, looking up at nothing - unable to watch the way Dave was gazing at him. “You’re a -” His voice broke and he abandoned the thought as tears began to fill his eyes. He blinked against them - he didn’t cry after sex, that wasn’t something that happened._

_He wanted to curl away from everything and cry in peace but Dave’s weight was still holding him on his back and at the sound of a choked inhale, he leaned up on his elbow, a hand coming up to touch Klaus’ damp cheek._

_“Sweetheart…” He moved over Klaus’, who was too focused on not sobbing as a wave of unfamiliar emotions broke over him to do anything. He pressed a soft kiss against his collarbone, which sent a sudden shiver over his body._

_“You’re so kind…”_

_He kissed him on the shoulder, “Make my life so bright.”_

_“Please don’t…” Klaus choked out, having to press his eyes shut._

_He reached up and pulled his fingers through Klaus’ messy hair, watching him critically, “You drive me crazy, sometimes I want to touch you so badly I can’t stand it.” He pressed his lips against Klaus’ jawline then nuzzled into his neck._

_“I’m such a lucky man.”_

_Klaus shifted to his side, curling up and shoving his face into the pillow; he wasn’t actively crying but tears were falling out of his eyes and he couldn’t stop them. He didn’t understand why Dave’s words hurt so badly - possibly because he felt like he meant them and that was more terrifying than anything Klaus had experienced._

_Dave cuddled around him, rubbing his back and kissing lightly down his arm, as if he was just knowingly working Klaus through this embarrassing emotional outburst. “Shh, it’s okay.”_

_“Shit…”_

_Dave was holding him tighter, curled around his body like a safety net letting the other man cry gently into the pillow, his fist tight around the corner of the comforter. He sighed as the trembling in his shoulders began to lessen and the tears started to subside. The feeling of his partner’s fingers stroking gently through his hair, the feeling of his breath against his neck bringing him back down from whatever fit he started having._

_“I love you, Klaus.”_

_“Next time - “ Klaus started weakly, his voice spent, “Just slap me.”_

_“I mean.” Klaus tried again, “Just don’t let go.”_

_He chuckled against his shoulder. He didn’t say anything else, just held him through the rest of the night._

*********************************************************************************************************

Klaus giggled and curled up against Dave’s side, resting his head against the other man’s chest with a contented exhale. “Need another shower…”

“Hm, It can wait ‘till the morning.” Dave stared at the ceiling and lazily drew circles against Klaus’ shoulder. 

They went silent for a while, simply existing together while their breath evened out, Klaus thought that Dave had dozed off until he spoke again, seemingly out of nowhere, “Thank you.”

Klaus glanced up, “Hm?”

“For saying yes.”

He was met with an audible scoff, “Did you think I was going to say no?”

“I don’t know, maybe. I’ve never asked anybody to marry me before.” He grinned. 

“That’s good to know.”  
Klaus was silent for several moments before he spoke again, “Why did you want to marry me?” He asked seriously. 

“Because I love you.”

“Well, yeah, I get that. I love you too.” He leaned more on his back, still laid out over Dave’s arm. He waved a hand as he spoke, “And I want to marry you because, of course I do - I don’t think there’s anyone else in the world for me and there’s no one else I want to raise Kenzie but--” 

He made a face, “You’re ‘David Katz’--” He began with a dramatic bravado, “You save people, fight for the good ol’ US of A, treat every living person with kindness and still make it home in time to make spaghetti and meatballs and help with homework..” 

He laughed, “I mean, I try but at the end of the day I’m still a washed up child star who cries in the bathtub and is scared of the dark. I’m just saying there’s a certain amount of settling down you’re doing to my settling up.”

Dave rolled his eyes. “You’re still my hero.”

“I want to marry you because you’re my partner and there’s no one else I want to spend my life with and I want to be proud of that because I’m proud that you're mine.”

When he continued to speak his voice was low as he absently stroked Klaus’ face, “And because sometimes, even now, you joke and act like you’re unlovable or annoying - You like to shit on your dad while repeating the bullshit rhetoric he placed on you.” “

“I’ve seen you look at your body and cringe at it like it’s an embarrassing old memory you have to carry around. I want to marry you, Klaus, because it’s my job to remind you that those things are not true, and even if that takes the rest of my life that’s what I’m going to do.”

The sound that came out of Klaus’ mouth was a cross between a whimper and an affronted duck. “Christ on a cracker, David, can you just ask me to suck you off like a normal guy? Jeez...”

Dave giggled and rolled over, burying his face in his fiancé’s neck.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last day in Texas, trying their best to get on the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thank you guys so much for all your lovely comments! I appreciate them so much!! This is the last general chapter before the two part finale of this whole story! (It will be continuing in a different part with more siblings) I hope that you enjoy this! Thanks for reading!

"Wallet, check. Backpack, check. Rot? Oh God where is he this time?" Klaus twisted around the girls’ room hopelessly, “Kenzie, where’s your blood fiend?”

The house was filled with chaotic movement that morning that they were supposed to leave, the front door was open and Dave was bringing bags through and stuffing them into the vehicle. Ben was sweeping the cabin trying to make sure that they didn’t leave anything behind and Klaus was desperately attempting to keep the kids somewhat corralled while getting their belongings packed up. 

“Kenzie!” Klaus circled out of the room and looked around. 

“Yeah!?” She ran in from outside, she seemed to have a bunch of leaves and twigs tangled into her hair. Klaus didn’t ask. 

“Where’s Rot-rot? He’s not in the doll.”

She shrugged unhelpfully. She was distracted by all the activities she wanted to fit into Texas before they left. 

Klaus audibly groaned, “Well, if he doesn’t want to be left behind he better show himself!” He said, head tilted, listening. He wasn’t sure if the blood fiend actually understood what he was saying - it was probably more like when you threaten your cat even though your words fall on deaf ears sleeping on top of the fridge. 

“Did you check Kenz’ backpack?” Ben offered as he passed by. 

“Yes, I checked the backpack.”

“He doesn’t want to go home…” Kenzie offered impatiently, when he didn’t immediately answer while his eyes scanned over the environment trying to catch a glimpse of the fiend Kenzie ran back outside. 

Before he went back into the kids’ bedroom he walked past Sally who was standing two inches from the TV screen, watching a “Wipeout” rerun at full volume. 

“Sweetheart, I get that this is taking longer than we anticipated but I swear we are about to leave--” He clicked the TV off and patted her on the back, “Two minutes tops.”

She didn’t respond, just watched him as he moved away through the back door. When she couldn't see him anymore she grabbed the remote and clicked it back on. She giggled as a man bounced off of one of the big red balls and tumbled into the slime. 

“Is that everything!? Klaus?” Dave came back inside and glanced around. 

“No, the girls’ stuff still needs to be put in the car - but we can’t find Rot-rot, Klaus is looking for him now.” Ben offered from where he was packing up a few water bottles and snacks in the kitchen. 

Dave thought about it for a moment then checked the clock on his phone, “Alright, I’m going to go ahead and put the rest of it in the car. I’ll leave the doll out.”

“Sounds good.”

“Tv time’s almost up, Kiddo.” Dave reminded Sally as he walked by. She held the remote like a flower and waited to see if he was going to actually make her turn the TV off. When he didn’t she shrugged and went back to laughing at the contestant’s spills. 

Dave didn’t make it to the back bedroom before he was intercepted by Kenzie, “Dad!” She whined. 

“Hey, what’s up?” 

She was holding her head strangely to the side and grimacing. Dave knelt down and looked her over, “What have you been doing?”

“I can’t get it out!” She tugged at a lump in her hair and yelled, “It hurts!”

He stopped her, “Don’t pull at it - That’ll just make it worse.” He squinted, attempting to separate her hair from the maelstrom of items that were tangled and stuck in her locks. “Looks like you’ve got a briar patch in your hair - were you just dragging your head through the woods?”

“Maybe.” She whined, wincing as he separated a piece of hair and pulled out a twig from the mess. “I was doing stuff.” 

“Alright…” Dave picked her up and retreated back into the kitchen, sitting her down at a table chair. He looked through her hair, finding pieces of the burr that had gotten stuck and twisted with the twigs and leaves she had apparently been crawling through. 

“Don’t touch it - I’ll be right back.” He left and came back with a brush and some hair ties. He began the delicate process of extracting all the foliage from her curls and untangling the kinks and rats’ nests. 

Ben finished packing the small to-go bag, he glanced over to where Dave was strategically attempting to save Kenzie’s hair while the child squirmed in the chair, face screwed up in what Ben hoped was some sort of lesson learned about climbing through the woods head first. He sat down and watched; The Tv was still on, Klaus was cursing up a storm from the next room and Dave was giving him a ‘oh god, I think I might need scissors’ look. It looked like they were going to miss their originally planned leaving time so he might as well relax. 

******************************************************************************

Brian Katz stepped out of his truck and quietly closed the door, he felt like he was on some sort of stealth mission. He was hurt, but he didn’t register it like that and instead converted that feeling to frustration and anger. He walked forward with the attitude that he was going to have to catch a lying child in the act of drinking or some other crime. 

He walked up the path to the cabin, thankful that no one had apparently heard him pull up and although there was a car out front, the trunk was open and not fully packed. The door was wide open and he could hear voices from inside and the sounds of a TV. 

“--That round, creepy little bastard and I are about to throw hands--” A voice he didn’t recognize. 

“We’re not going to leave him, right?” A loud child’s voice responded. “Rot likes it here and he doesn’t want to go home.” The voice explained. 

“--Sally, turn that down, please. No, we won’t leave him, but maybe we need to keep him better contained so this doesn’t keep happening.--” Another strange voice said in a calmer, more amused tone. 

“Christ!” Said the first voice, “Did you get into a fight with a bush?!”

“--We haven’t ruled that out - hold still, sweetie--” Brian’s chest constricted at the familiar sound.

“Ouch!” 

“Sorry.” Dave’s voice came through again. 

Brian prepared himself then walked inside, opting not to knock since who knew what would happen if the other man answered the door. If he could just speak with Dave then maybe he could fix this. 

He moved inside quietly, it wasn’t very hard since the environment was so loud and he turned the corner to see a small gathering of people in the kitchen. He first noticed that one man was completely blue, sitting at the table watching everyone else. 

Dave was in the middle, he looked a lot different since the last time Brian had seen him, he was sporting a full beard now and seemed noticeably filled out. He was brushing the hair of a child whom Brian didn’t recognize. There was something wrong with her head - like a birth defect or something; he had never seen anything like it. Although, they looked like horns.

Next to them was a strange man who resembled the child, Brian noted with some distaste that he was wearing a woman’s blouse and eyeliner. 

The child noticed him first, “Who are you!? Momma, is that a spook?”

All the adults seemed to jump when they saw him standing there and the man in the woman’s blouse yelped slightly and grabbed a butter knife from the counter. Dave’s arm flew over the head of the child, covering up the horns then his shoulders fell when he saw who was in the doorway. 

He locked eyes briefly with Dave and it hurt when he recognized him then frowned and looked away. 

“I- uh - The door was open, I hope it’s okay I just walked in.”

Brian smiled sheepishly, “Hi, Dave.”

*******************************************************************************************************

Klaus’ eyes switched from Brian’s face to his Fiance’s - waiting for a reaction from either of them. His stomach twisted protectively and he moved to stand closer to Dave and Kenzie. 

Dave, however, only swallowed hard and then looked down, continuing to meticulously brush out Kenzie’s tangled locks. He was using a brush and a comb to make removing the burr and twigs as painless as possible. Brian was standing there for several tense, awkward moments before Dave finally spoke up - still not taking his eyes off of his task. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked, tensely conversational. 

“I mean, what was I supposed to do, David? You didn’t visit. You didn’t call.”

Dave raised his eyebrows skeptically, glancing quickly at Klaus who was standing close with his arms crossed. “I told you we were coming to Texas and you made it very clear that we were not welcome in your home.”

“I didn’t mean you - and you know that.”

“If my family isn’t welcome, then neither am I - It’s as simple as that.”

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “For God’s sake David - Can I just speak with you?” He gestured to everyone else in the room of which only Klaus and Kenzie were currently visible, “Privately?”

“Dave, you don’t have to deal with this.” Klaus moved closer and said urgently. 

“I wasn’t talking to you!” Brian snapped. 

“ _Believe_ me, you don’t seem like the kind that would and that’s just fine for me but you don’t get to just waltz in here and interrogate him” Klaus snapped right back beginning to walk towards the surprise guest. 

Dave stopped him, lightly tugging him back by the sleeve, “Hey, It’s okay --” He glanced at his uncle, “First of all, don’t ever talk to him like that again and secondly, you’ll have to wait until I finish doing my daughter’s hair.”

Brian’s mouth tightened but he nodded curtly and turned to go out the door without any more protest. 

“I can put on a dress if it makes you more comfortable.” Klaus stuck his tongue out, glaring at the other man as he walked away. 

Brian didn’t respond.

*****************************************************************************************************

It was a full twenty minutes later when Dave finally came out of the cabin; he was alone even though Klaus had adamantly offered to come with him, he couldn’t lie - he found the protective side of his fiance to be very attractive but maybe not so helpful in this situation. He almost regretted it when he found his uncle Brian leaned up against his truck staring off into the distance. 

Dave was a full grown man with a family of his own, he was a war veteran and routinely fought fires - he had nothing to be ashamed of and yet something dropped in his stomach, something akin to shame when Brian looked up at him, face sullen and serious. 

“What’s this about?”

“David, you gotta stop this.” He gestured to the cabin, “This isn’t right, this isn’t you.”

Dave’s eyes followed where his uncle’s finger pointed before he turned back to face him again, “Is that it? You came all the way down here to try to get me to leave my family?” He asked skeptically, “What makes you possibly think that would work?”

“This isn’t a family! This is -” His uncle Brian stumbled over his words, he looked positively distraught, “You’re sick, you need to just come back home. You can work in the shop, you can -”

Dave took a step forward, “Stop. Listen, this is my family, okay? I love Klaus in the same way that you loved Aunt Sara. I’m currently looking after two girls right now, and I love them both more than anything - there’s nothing wrong with our family, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

Brain stared at him for several moments, his expression half concern and half dismayed, “Where did this even come from? The Dave I knew -”

“The Dave you knew was a lying teenager.” He interrupted him, “Look, I’m sorry. I should have told you, this isn’t new. I was born like this and I’ve been this way forever even if I’m just now starting to feel good about it.”

“And you just declined to mention this? David, I’ve known you since you were born, you can’t hide something like this. You were a good kid and I know you’re a good man, there’s something wrong with this. I need you to take a step back - before you throw your life away on these unnatural feelings.” 

Dave paused, his face falling as he quickly started to give up, “I ‘declined’ to mention it because I was so desperate for your approval that I literally signed up for war before I risked losing your respect.” He swallowed, “And because I was scared, goddamn I saw the shit you put Nora through and I--”

Brian put a hand up, “Look Nora, Nora’s always been troubled, okay? You don’t need to follow in her footsteps.”

“Nora’s a Neonatal nurse, she graduated top of her class. She owns her own home and she’s on the city council. In highschool she was a straight A student and the captain of the debate club.” 

Dave got close to Brian’s face like he was desperate for his words to sink in, “You weren’t there when she graduated, you refused to be there when she won trophies or when she got job promotions. She was in a car accident and you didn’t even tell me for a week - and she deserved that treatment, what? Because she’s gay? Or because she’s a woman? I could never tell but I fucking knew I wouldn’t be able to take that kind of rejection.”

Dave could feel his temper rising, “If someone were to _ever_ pull that shit with Kenzie I would -” He took a deep breath before continuing. “So, no - I didn’t tell you I was gay. I was trying to survive - but here I am now, and I’ve got nothing to hide”

“If you felt that way, why did you even bother calling me before you left?” Brian asked coldly. 

“Because there are things that should happen!” Dave snapped, his temper flaring suddenly in a way he didn’t anticipate, “Okay?! I should have told you when I started dating Klaus, I should have been able to call you and tell you how happy I was to be with him. I should have been able to call you when we moved in and you should have been happy that I was happy.” Dave’s voice broke and he was so angry with himself for it, “I SHOULD have called you the first time Kenzie ever called me dad and you should have counted her as a blessing addition to the family.”

Brian was looking pointedly at the ground. 

“When we got to Texas we SHOULD have gone to visit you so you could make us your famous barbeque and told the girls the stories you used to tell me. You should have been there when I proposed to the man that I love.”

“And I know I’m so stupid for continuing to believe that all the things that should happen could happen, you know? Because I should have stood up to you, I should have stood up for Nora instead of cowering in your shadow for fear that you’d do to me what you did to her. I should have never kept quiet while you shunned her and ignored her and ridiculed her -”

Dave took a deep breath, “But I’m getting off track - what I mean to say is... There is so much love, and happiness, and joy that you should have been a part of but you’re choosing to lose it because of your hate, and your fear of something so innocent that you don’t understand…”

He rubbed his neck, “So, just take it from me - that long list of ‘should haves’ will turn into regrets that you will never be able to get back.”

They fell silent for several moments before his uncle Brian spoke up, “Dave, it’s not--”

“Just go.” Dave didn’t look at him as he spoke, “You’re right, I shouldn’t have called you.”

Brian swallowed and without another word turned away and got into his truck. Dave didn’t move from his spot, he didn’t allow his expression to change as his uncle drove away and disappeared down the dirt road. When he could no longer see the dust trail he fell back against the car and rubbed his face with his hands. 

He felt like punching something or crying or punching something while crying but instead he stared off into space, his mind thrumming with a mixture of anger and a grief that was creeping back in. It was the same grief that he felt when he first realized that he was gay and he knew he shouldn’t feel guilty about feeling it but he did.

“Are you sad?” A soft voice came out of nowhere. 

He jumped and glanced around, Sally was standing a few feet away, staring at him with big, unblinking eyes. He sighed, “Sally - how long have you been standing there?” When he spoke he sounded out of breath and trembly. 

“For a while.”

He cringed, “I thought you were inside watching TV.”

She shook her head. 

“I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have had to hear that.”

“It’s okay, I’m 70 years old.” She said, matter of factly. 

He huffed, slightly caught off guard, “Fair enough. Is everything okay?” It was so hard to tell with their little ghost child - she didn’t convey many emotions. 

Sally nodded, “Klaus is stuck in a vent.”

He smiled, “Klaus is stuck in a vent? Let me guess, Rot was hiding in a vent and he tried to climb in there and get him?

She nodded. 

He chuckled, “We better go get him then, huh?”

Another nod. 

“Are you sad?” She repeated, staring a hole into his skull. 

He thought about it for a few moments, “Yeah…” He admitted, “I’m a little sad.”

She did the thing where she opens her arms up stiffly and tilts her head. Dave smiled and leaned down to hug her, squeezing her gently against his chest and lifting her up on his hip. He ruffled her hair, “Thank you, sweetie.”

She hugged his neck and he started walking back into the cabin, “We better go help them…”

Ben glanced up from his seat at the kitchen table, apparently whatever was going on was not enough for him to get up from his book. For a moment Dave thought he was about to ask him how it went with Brian but he apparently decided against it and instead he smirked and gestured his head towards the bedroom, “Are you _really_ sure you want to marry him? Like, for forever?”

Dave snorted and put Sally down, he patted her on the back, “You can watch some TV if you want, I think we’re going to be late outta here.”

The ghost child clapped and skipped over to the Tv. 

In the bedroom, true to what he had been told, Klaus was hanging ass and legs out of the large air vent in the corner. His shirt had ridden up and his bare hips were painfully lodged in the metal frame that was not made for a grown man. 

Kenzie was giggling hysterically from the whole situation, holding onto one of his legs and trying to tug him out in a painful diagonal stretch. It said a lot about Dave’s new lifestyle that this didn’t really phase him in any way, it was almost tame. 

When Kenzie saw him she dropped the leg causing a pop and an audible “Ow!” from inside the vent, “Dad!” She ran up to him, looked back at her father then stated pragmatically, “Momma’s stuck in the vent and I don’t think we can get him out. He won’t budge!”

“Ah, we’ll be able to get him out, go to the trunk and get me all the butter we’ve got in the kitchen bag, please.”

“Are we going to cook him?” She whispered like she didn’t want Klaus to hear. 

Dave laughed, “I promise we won’t cook him, we’re just going to butter him up a little. Like we did that time you got your head stuck in the baluster.”

“Oh, okay!”

“Don’t sound so disappointed!” Klaus’ muffled voice came from inside the wall. 

She ran off and Dave moved to sit next to his fiance’s Winnie the Pooh situation, “Nice ass.” He stated and smacked Klaus’ ass playfully. 

“Enjoying the view, are we?”

“It’s not bad - so, question. Why wasn’t your first thought when you saw this Sally sized vent to just ask Sally, the ghost 7 year old who could just walk through the wall if something happened, to go in there and get him?”

He could hear Rot-rot’s defeated grumbling from inside the vent. 

“I wasn’t thinking! This little bastard has actively been trying to ruin my life so now it’s personal.”

“I don’t think it’s personal, he just wants desert - he’s a sugar addict and he acts out when he doesn’t get it.”

“He ate my engagement ring!”

“He probably thought it was a Lucky Charms marshmallow.”

Klaus grumbled but after a moment said in a more serious tone, which was counteracted by the fact that Dave was staring at his ass and hearing his voice muffled through the wall. “Are you okay? I could have beat him up if you needed me to - just pop me outta here and I’ll - I’ll get him for you.”

Dave smiled, a gesture lost on Klaus’ ass, “I tried - I lost my temper a little but I think he’s gone for good.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s his loss.”

“I know but- It just sucks, you don’t deserve to be treated that way. You’re a good man and you take good care of your family. Anybody would be lucky to have you as their son.”

“Thanks, K.” He said, solemnly, resting his hand on Klaus’ ass and squeezing gently. 

“Enjoying yourself back there, Katz?”

“Well, I’d hold your hand but this is all I’ve got at the moment.”

“We’ll continue this conversation later, in the meantime, are you gonna get me out or are you just going to keep playing bongos on my cheeks?”

Dave chuckled, “I’m waiting for the butter.”

“Ugh, gross, I’m going to smell like a raw turkey all the way home. Can’t you just pull me out.”

He sighed in response and grabbed Klaus’ hips, “Okay, I’ll try. Here we go!”

He tugged as hard as he could and was met not only with very little success but also a yelp of pain as Klaus’ skin pinched the edges of the metal frame, “Shit! Nope - butter. Butter’s good. Wait for butter.”

Dave fell back against the wall next to what was visible of his fiancé, he slapped his ass one more time just for fun and sighed

“I can’t wait to get home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! That _"wallet, check. Backpack, check. Rot? Oh God where is he this time?_ first sentence came from the wonderful Henbit_7! I believe that you were talking about a school scene but I don't know when we'll be going back to Kenzie's school and I wanted to make sure that it was included! Thank you so much!! XD


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current holiday update from Ben's perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone!! This is just a little bonus one shot for the holiday season! I did this in chapter 2 and since it's Christmas I thought I should do an updated scene. Thanks so much for reading!! I hope that you enjoy!

Ben bounced his knee lighty to the score backing the Gremlins feature film, he watched the screen and as always, found himself a little disturbed by the special effects of this movie. He remembered when they were kids and Diego managed to score a copy of “The Gremlins” - they, of course, never celebrate any holidays but they were not blind to the traditions of other children. 

Their dad had left on business and everyone huddled up in an old basement room to watch it on an old VHS player. Even Luther had been able to keep his mouth shut about it. Ben had cautiously assumed that this would be a cute holiday film about sweet little creatures - he ended up having nightmares for weeks. 

However, the memory was still fond in his mind - even if he ended up with a slight distaste for the film. So of course, it had to be Kenzie’s favorite holiday watch. Ben had scolded Klaus for letting her see it so young - he vividly remembered walking in on a two year old sitting a couple feet from the screen completely enraptured by the 80s Christmas flick; he hadn’t been happy but she never had nightmares about it so he conceded. 

It was late in the evening on Christmas Eve and he was sitting in a comfy chair in the corner of Dave and Klaus’ bedroom (Their room had an extra TV). Kenzie had fallen asleep snuggled in a pile of blankets after loudly pronouncing that she would not fall asleep this year! She was going to see what all the fuss about Christmas was about! 

Ben smiled, she was six years old now and her personality was blossoming out, less like a flower and more like a firework. Much like Klaus, she was curious and nosy about anything and everything around her and when things didn’t go her way she was quick to use her reactions to get what she wanted. She was wily and her teachers often described her as ‘clever’ and ‘always in the middle of an adventure’ even if she wasn’t ‘focused’ or ‘didn’t like to follow the rules’. 

Unlike Klaus as a child, however, she was less morose - less jittery and prone to bouts of crying. But maybe that was just because their child raising philosophies differed so much from their father. She was an emotional child, like he was, and just as clingy but she had a certain amount of confidence that Klaus just never possessed. 

The bathroom door opened and Klaus stepped out in a fluffy red robe that Dave had bought him during their Hanukkah celebrations. He had loosely dried his hair and it was sticking up everywhere - like a halo of chaos around his head. 

6 years, 54 days sober and his brother looked fully like a person again - no traces of gauntness or the pale scar reminders on his forearms. He was eating more and more these days too, so his face was a little rounder (which only added to the resemblance he had with his daughter) and his ribs were no longer sticking out. It sounded bad but for the first time Ben didn’t hate to look at him now that he wasn’t a walking display of the drugs, trauma, and abuse he had endured. 

He hummed, his eyes scanning over Kenzie sprawled out on his side of the bed. He padded past the TV and into the rest of the apartment. Ben knew what he was doing, some habits die hard and a moment later he heard the soft rattle of the door as Klaus checked to make sure that it was locked.

Dave always locked the door. 

He made a face at the screen at one of the more unsettling scenes and leaned over to turn the volume down just a little bit. He heard soft voices coming from the next room and a few moments later his brother came back into the bedroom. He carefully climbed onto the other side of the bed - he reached up and stretched, glancing back up at his ghostly brother before cuddling up around his daughter protectively. 

“Did you tell her Santa is coming tonight?” Ben’s voice was as low as possible. 

“Hm - Is that the narrative we went with?”

“I can’t remember…”

Klaus rubbed his face with his free hand, “Whatever, she’ll tell us in the morning what we went with this year… I forgot all those other little shits at school are probably confusing her about the whole season.”

Ben huffed, “Yeah, because what are we working with now? We’re vaguely Jewish pagans with a touch of ironic Satanism who still go to see Santa at the mall - I don’t see how that would be confusing at all.”

Klaus giggled tiredly, “Exactly.”

Ben sat back and absently watched the screen for several moments before sighing, “Whatever, at least it’s ours..”

“God, you always get so sappy around the holidays. What’s next? You’re going to tell me you’re proud of me?” Klaus teased lightly, closing his eyes and pressing his face comfortably into the pillow. 

“I am proud of you.”

Klaus’ eyes opened briefly before fluttering shut again, “Happy non-denominational holiday, Ben.”

“Yeah, you too. Get some sleep, I’ll keep an eye out.”

He got up, happy to not be watching that movie anymore, and phased through the wall into the living room where he found Dave sitting comfortably at the window seat under a dim lamp reading. He sat down in the empty space next to him- the area was bathed in gentle, colorful lights and the cold cityscape outside seemed so inconsequential and far away. 

It was quiet, save for the muffled sounds of the Gremlin’s playing from the bedroom. No gunshots, no yelling, or fucking or the unpleasent backfireing of vehicles so close and so dangerous just a flimsy lock away. He wasn’t roaming the surrounding area looking for some drunk or high maniac lurking around. He felt safe. More importantly, he felt like Kenzie and Klaus were safe. He would still scan out the window, it was his job. 

“Mind if I join you?”

Dave glanced up with a pleasant smile, “ ‘Course.” Then he gestured to the table, where Kenzie and Klaus had set up a small altar type area, copying what Hayworth and Perry always set up in their store for the Yule holidays. They didn’t have a christmas tree and if anybody asked they were explicitly against huge flammable displays inside the house. There were a few presents wrapped and placed around the central candle. 

“I put some things around that - This isn’t really my forte but I thought maybe I should play Santa Claus?” He shrugged, “Have something for Kenzie to wake up to in the morning?”

Ben smiled, “She’ll love it, thanks Dave. Klaus and I usually wing it every year.”

“Yeah, I can’t imagine you guys were raised with a lot of holiday traditions.”

“Absolutely not. Dad hated presents - we’d still find ways to celebrate behind his back though.” He laughed, “Klaus had this- I don’t know what to call it - like a scrap book or something where he would collect pages with pictures of christmas decorations and scenes. He likes to call me sappy now, but back then he was always the weepy one about family and presents.”

Dave’s smile faded into something more akin to sympathy and Ben quickly continued, “That was when we were little though - when he got older he had more of a tendency to try to light things on fire and watch them burn.”

“So Kenzie gets it from both parents?” Dave asked with a smirk. 

“100% - He’s a damn pyromaniac.”

They both laughed and Ben was happy to have some company on Christmas morning. Dave was still on a night shift schedule which meant that they had been able to get to know each other really well over the past few months. They chatted idly for a while until they both decided to go back to their reading. 

Ben was also thankful that for once in his existence he had someone who, like him, preferred things to be a little quieter and was thrilled with a good book. It was just after midnight that he finally picked something from Dave’s shelf and sat down, leaning against the window. 

It was only a few minutes later when Ben’s head shot up at a light popping sound - or crackling more like it. He was surprised that Dave didn’t seem to hear it since it sounded like a breaker popped or an electrical outlet fizzed out. He leaned forward from the seat and peered into the barley lit shadows of the kitchen off to the side. In the darkness he could see the outline of someone standing up, more unpleasant cracking sounds came from them. Ben’s stomach twisted as the outline twisted and warped until the figure was standing 7 feet tall - demonic horns glinted in the vague lights and as he stood up to sound an alarm - the figure took a heavy step forward into the light. 

The creature was horrific to look at with elongated, clawed arms and greyish black skin with holes rotting through the joints of his body until pieces of bone were visible through seeping pink wounds. His face was thin, a massive mouth twisting around in a permanent scowl with teeth that stuck out at painful angles. Goat like horns that were broken into dangerously sharded tips nearly touched the ceiling and he had to bend his spine to accommodate the space. His shoulders were weighed down by a large black sack which he gripped onto with wrinkled, clawed hands.

Heavy hooved feet lumbered forward towards their little altar, Ben glanced over at Dave who had gone back to his book and didn’t seem to notice anything was amiss. Ben jumped like he had been shot when the massive creature’s head snapped towards him and it opened it’s gaping mouth to reveal a long pointed tongue which curled out and licked around the edges of it’s ripped lips. 

It growled. A deep demonic sound which rumbled the walls. With a loud, pained groan it dropped the sack onto the floor with an uncomfortable splat that resembled the sound of a limp body hitting the ground. Ben watched as it reached a hand into the opening and began to rummage around- squeaks and growls and popping noises came from inside the cloth as he pushed things around. 

After several agonizing moments he pulled something out, he turned away from Ben and set the thing on the table next to the other presents. It turned back to the ghost and inhaled deeply, the lights around him faded and flickering lightly. The creature screamed with the force of a thousand people and Ben was forced to cover his ears.Finally with an electric pop it disappeared from their apartment and the lights returned to their original strength. 

Ben shuddered and stepped slowly forward to the table. Sitting pleasantly on top of one of the wrapped presents was a small, handmade birch goat figurine. He picked it up, it was particularly light and seemed to be hollow - between the cracks of the magically formed birch ribs Ben could see something that resembled a dried tongue. He really hoped that it wasn’t a human tongue. 

He set it back down on the table. 

Dave glanced up from his book for the first time and sniffed, “Does it smell weird in here to you?”

Ben’s eyes shifted back to the figure on the table then back to Dave, “Yeah - seems like Kenzie’s uncle Krampus decided to stop by this year…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I hope that you guys have a very safe and pleasant holiday!


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god! I can't believe we finally made it to the final chapter! It's broken up into two parts just because it's so large and the second part will be much bigger. I am actually really nervous to post this one! There's a lot that happens and I am just hoping that I don't fuck it up or make it too dark - Anyway, please let me know what you think! I hope that you enjoy it! Thank you for reading!!   
> (Trigger warning in the end notes)

Klaus had been to many of his sister’s concerts since she came back into their lives - it wasn’t all out of courtesy either. He genuinely enjoyed her music and it reminded him of being curled up with his back against her wall as she practiced when they were children. On particularly bad days he would lose himself, be able to drift away in the soft melodies. They were never all that close and she probably didn’t even know that he was listening but it was his own private, happy little memory from childhood. 

She was always pretty good - she practiced constantly to no praise from their father but tonight as Klaus sat next to Kenzie, Dave, and Ben, (Sally hadn’t wanted to leave her swing that day) he found her performance to be almost mind numbingly good in a way he couldn’t describe. There was a moment in the middle of a solo where he thought he might have blacked out but he couldn't be sure. 

As the performance ended and the musicians bowed, their family stood up and clapped with the rest of the impressed crowd. Kenzie cheered loudly like she was in a rock concert earning them a few dirty looks from the older, stuffier patrons. Dave put a hand on her shoulder and told her to lower her volume inside but as Vanya began to walk off the stage she caught Kenzie’s eye in the crowd and waved enthusiastically at her biggest fan. 

They met Vanya in the back, pushing through the crowd like VIPs and she seemed to be glowing. Kenzie tackled her immediately and she swung her around with a grunt and hugged her niece fondly, “I’m not going to be able to do that much longer.”

“That was AMAZING!” Kenzie said, making a mind blown gesture with her hands. She was jumping up and down. She was in the thralls of the type of hyper activity that only comes when a child has been really good, sitting in her chair while listening to instrumental music and has finally been let loose. 

“You were the best! Everyone else was just okay but you were really good!”

“Thank you! That really means a lot.” She looked at as the adults trailing behind her niece finally made it to them, “Thank you guys so much for coming.”

Ben pulled an arm around her and squeezed her close, “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“You were fantastic, Vanny. You might want to talk to the owners of this place about concessions though - they didn’t even have popcorn! There was nothing for me to pelt at the other performers when they messed up. I feel like it would really up the game with more audience participation.”

Vanya laughed and shook her head. 

“Is Sophie here?” Dave asked, looking around. 

“No, she had to work, unfortunately.” Vanya smiled, “But it’s okay, she’s been listening to me practice this nearly every day for the past month so it’s probably going to be stuck in her head forever.”

“I’m going to drop these guys off then I’ll be heading to work so I’ll probably see her - I’ll make sure to tell her what she missed.”

“Thanks, Dave.” She opened her arms, “Can I have another hug before you go?”

Kenzie obliged excitedly, squeezing her as hard as she could around the middle, showing off her newly 7 year old strength. She wrestled her good naturedly and waved as the group made their way back into the main building. 

Before Klaus could fully close the door behind him, she grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Klaus?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

She took a deep breath, “There’s some things I need to talk to you about. When you’ve got the time.” She spoke low and serious and that caught him off guard. 

His stomach dropped, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah - I mean, we’re all okay. I would just tell you if something happened but I just need to tell you some things. And Ben too, if he’s there.”

“Okay, yeah. Dave’s taking Kenzie for a hike on Saturday, do you want to just get some breakfast and talk.”

She seemed immediately relieved, “That sounds great. Thank you. I’ll see you in a few days.”

She gave him one last quick hug and he rejoined his family.

**********************************************************************************************************

“You guys have a good night, I’ll see you in the morning.” Dave parked the car next to the front door of their apartment and glanced around. 

Klaus leaned over and kissed his fiancé briefly, “Be careful.”

Kenzie hugged him around the neck from the back, “Love you, Dad!”

“Love you, kiddo.”

She was hyper and anxious to get inside so Klaus had to grab her hand before she could just bolt into the building, he waved quickly at Dave “Love you, Dave.”

“Love you, Klaus.”

Ben waved at him and then he was driving away into the early evening. He had to drive around a dark limo a block away and although he thought that was strange and out of place, he didn’t think of it again. 

When they got inside Kenzie immediately ran off to her room and Klaus headed for the kitchen, pouring himself a coke from the fridge. Ben checked the locks on the door and joined his brother in the kitchen. 

“Shit, Dave forgot his lunch again…” Klaus peered into the fridge with a frown, “He always does that when he works nights…” He mumbled, more to himself than anybody else. 

“He’ll probably come back for it.”

The sounds of Kenzie’s music drifted from her room and they could hear her moving around and chatting idly to what were most likely her toys and Rot-rot. Bens smiled, “Good luck getting her to go to sleep tonight. There’s a reason we don’t usually plan things on Tuesday nights.”

Klaus was flipping through his phone, leaning against the counter, he hummed in response, not really concerned with what Ben was talking about. They heard the front door open and he looked up from his scrolling. He pulled the lunchbox out of the fridge and walked into the living room, “I’m glad you didn’t get too far - you know what happens when food’s left unattended in this - “

Klaus yelped as he looked up, he dropped the lunchbox and the contents of chilli and crackers spilled out onto the floor. He stumbled backwards and covered his mouth as a scene from his nightmares stood in the middle of the room, holding a gold embossed cane and looking around in an expression of mild distaste at his surroundings. 

Reginald Hargreeves’ eyes finally landed on his son and he peered at him, nose upturned, inspecting him through the ever present monocle. “Number 4.” He stated curtly, sending a bolt of panic painfully through Klaus’ spine. 

Klaus took a step away, he glanced over at his brother who was in just as much shock as he was then back to the intruder. “Jesus, pops, did we forget how to knock?” He tried to sound cavalier but he couldn’t tell if it worked or if his voice just broke. 

“If I would have knocked first, you wouldn’t have let me in. But no matter, your inadequate locks involved the same amount of effort to break.”

Klaus swallowed, his mind flashing back to the past several years where he obsessively checked the locks and barricaded the front door at the slightest sound in the paranoia of suddenly being responsible for a small life. Maybe he had gotten complacent, feeling secure in his home for the first time in his life and he was paying for it dearly. 

“Amazing deductive skills, Sherlock! Now, lets dive further into that - why the fuck would you think I wouldn’t let you in? Is it because I don’t want you in my house or because I never want to see you again?”

A door behind them opened, Ben twisted around but Klaus didn’t move, “Stay in your room!” He snapped in a tone of voice that caught both Kenzie and Ben slightly off guard. The 7 year old’s eyes went wide and she went back into her room, although once Ben’s back was turned to her she cracked it open to watch. 

“I know your lifestyle has crumbled but please, at least attempt to act civil. I am just here on business.” He didn’t sound bothered by Klaus’ outburst or by the way he was standing alert. 

“What could you possibly be bothering me with now?! Didn’t you get all your experiments and data in before I turned 18?”

“This has very little to do with you, Number 4, don’t be vain. It has come to my attention that you have a child with special abilities and I have it on good authority that those abilities are more volatile than you can handle.”

Klaus’ eyes closed, he tried to stand still but he knew his father could see right through the way he trembled at that sentence. 

“I must say I’m impressed that you’ve managed to house her without my knowledge but as usual your juvenile, myopic convictions have blinded you to both the safety of the world and the potential of such a unique human. I’m disappointed, Number 4--”

“Well, that’s a surprise.”

“For once your desire to withhold any and all responsibility should have been to the benefit an advantage of your fellow humans and the child which you created and yet here you are, playing fantasy with a dangerous entity,”

“Oh, who gives a shit if she’s got powers!? She’s seven! She- she wants to eat dinosaur nuggets and watch Doc McStuffins all day! She’s never hurt anybody and she’s not a fucking experiment! She’s a baby!”

Reginald’s hand snapped forward and grabbed onto Klaus' wrist, pulling his arm forward with a snap. 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” His unbothered act was falling apart quickly and he tried to snap his arm away. 

Reginald paid him no mind, he observed his son’s hand and arms, “Ah, yes, I see. It seems like you’ve got everything under control.” He said with a snide tone, a finger pointing out the small burn scars that trailed down his skin until they distorted his tattoos with pink, warped scar tissue. 

Klaus ripped away from him, rubbing up and down his arms, “Look, she was an infant, okay? She couldn’t help it.”

“Humph.”

Regional turned away and pulled something out of his pocket, ignoring his son. 

“Listen, you have a problem with the way I’m raising her- fine! Call CPS on me, I’m sure with a big enough check they’d be willing to do whatever you wanted. But give me a fair shot.” Klaus was rambling. 

Ben knew where he was going with this - in this worst of the worst situation they needed to have an agency's involvement because at least then they would have time to get Allison. And nobody trying to hurt her niece would have been a match for Allison Hargreeves. 

Reginald turned back, a checkbook in hand, and when he spoke his voice was almost soft, “She’s a danger to you, she’s a danger to the world - I can offer her protection and training. I can’t imagine you planned for her. You’ve done an adequate job at keeping her alive and now I am offering you freedom from your choices. How much?”

He ripped out a blank check and handed it to his son along with a pen, “I will compensate you fully and you can go back to living your life in whatever way you choose.”

Klaus held the check out into the light, he glanced back at his father and took a deep breath and a moment to consider. He pressed the paper against the wall and began to write. 

“Klaus, what are you doing?” Ben wasn’t visible but he was standing by just in case things went wrong. 

His brother didn’t answer him, instead he walked back to their father and held out the check, written in large letters along the pay line were the words “EAT MY ENTIRE ASS” with a small line and two zeros at the end. He showed it to his unimpressed father then ripped it up into four pieces. He tossed them in the older man’s face, a move which Ben had never thought even Klaus had the spine to do. 

“Get out of my house.” He snarled. 

Reginald sighed and placed his monocle back into his pocket. 

“Klaus, stay away.”

His brother glanced at him, body tense and ready to take a beating, he mouthed the word “Run” and turned back to his father just in time to dodge a devastating blow to the face. Ben faltered, not sure what to do - rather than obey Klaus he ran forward and tried to intercept Reginald’s fist, he got pushed out of the way just as Klaus grabbed a decorative cat statue and hurled it at his father. 

Reginald sidestepped the attack and lunged towards Klaus. Ben stepped back, originally unwilling to unleash the horror in such a confined area, he was panicking now so he opened his chest and closed his eyes, feeling the creature inside bubbling out through his skin, ready to rip and kill. 

Klaus tried but he had never been that good of a hand to hand fighter so it was inevitable that he would get caught off balance, before the horror could explode out and rip him to pieces Reginald swiftly grabbed a lamp and slammed it down against Klaus’ head. The Seance collapsed to the ground and Ben faded away instantly, his father catching a glimpse of him for just a moment before he disappeared. 

“No! Shit!”

Klaus was still up, on his hands and knees looking disoriented. Ben screamed as their father walked calmly up to his son, pulled his body up by his hair and plunged a spade shaped dagger into his abdomen, twisting it viciously into the flesh. 

“Stop it!” Ben screamed. 

Before he could comprehend what was happening Klaus’ entire body was seizing up, acidic agony rushed through his veins and he felt like someone was breaking every bone in his body, snapping them one by one even though he wasn’t moving - he could barely breathe. The stab wound barely registered as the poison spread throughout his body at an unrelenting speed. 

He tried to scream but the paralysis mangled his vocal chords and left him trapped in a body that felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside. His father held him and lowered his body to the floor, he could see his face but his vision was bleeding red and although his brain was spiraling he couldn't fight against the poison tearing him to pieces.

Kenzie screamed and retreated back into her bedroom, Ben followed her - hating himself for not trying to help her escape when they maybe had a chance. Fire erupted around her body which didn’t seem to perturb the old man who simply pulled out a dart gun and shot a round into her arm. She collapsed, crashing into her bedside table, her belongings shattering to the floor. 

He walked up, patting out any remaining flames and picked her up while Ben could only watch in horror as he threw her limp body over his shoulder and walked briskly out of the apartment. Ben fell to his knees next to his brother, “Klaus, you gotta wake up..”

It was only after he spoke that he realized with absolutely hopelessness that his brother was still alive, his eyes wide open and filled with blood. His mouth was hanging open and he was gasping and choking against foam and bile being rejected by his body. His skin was a sickly purple color and he twitched and whined. He watched as Reginald took Kenzie away, leaving him dying on the floor. 

Ben tried to touch his face, tried to bring him any semblance of comfort in these agonizing last moments but his effort was lost on his brother, writhing in pain. “I need you to come back, okay? You better come back, Klaus.” He begged, his voice breaking. 

He ripped himself away from his brother’s body and stumbled after Reginald and Kenzie.

Rot-rot, who had not been fast enough to grab onto his girl as she was taken away stumbled dejectedly out of the bedroom and scrambled up Klaus, he climbed up his seizing form and tugged gently on the seance’s hair attempting in his own little way to bring Klaus back. 

*****************************************************************************************************

“Kenzie?” Ben had his face next to hers, looking into her eyes as she stirred awake. He was trying to see if she was okay without being able to interact with her - he was upset that she was waking up so soon. 

“Hey, Kenz’...” Ben tried to sound as calm as possible, also staying as close to her as he could given the circumstances. 

She was on a medical seat with her arms attached to the sides, palms facing up and he had been hoping and begging that she would stay asleep for just a little while longer. Reginald was working next to them, he moved and acted like this was any other day and at the moment he was pulling a syringe of blood from her arm. 

The little one’s eyes shot open. 

“Kenzie, look at me. Look at me, don’t look at him.” Ben ordered, attempting to block her line of sight as Reginald pulled out the needle and placed a sterile cotton ball on the point. 

“No, eyes on me - there you go. Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?” 

Reginald glanced briefly at the child he just kidnapped but turned and walked away, inspecting the syringe of blood that he had just extracted. 

She whined and her head snapped away to look around the room, “Uncle Ben…”

He walked quickly to her other side, “I’m right here, Kenzie. I need you to listen to me, you’re going to be okay. Someone will come for us. I just need you to do as I say and know that I’m going to be right here, okay?”

She seemed to think about this for several moments through her groggy mind, “Is - is momma gone?” She whispered. 

“Right now, he might be but your mom? He always gets back up, yeah? Especially for you.” When Ben left his brother was still alive, in the clutches of some poison. He didn’t know if Klaus was going to make it back this time. 

Kenzie’s face twisted and she started to cry, tugging weakly at her restraints. Ben’s heart shattered and moved with her line of sight. He didn’t think she could light on fire at the moment after just coming off the sedative and as much as he would love to burn this place to the ground, he didn’t want to risk Reginald’s wrath. At least now, he didn’t seem to want to hurt her. 

“Hey, hey, look at me. I’m going to tell you a story - Just focus on the sound of my voice and know, everything is going to be okay.”

Several rooms away Sir Hargreeves was inspecting a drop of blood through a microscope, his face was stern and focused as he worked, however, his brow quickly furrowed into something like confusion. Another portion of blood was currently whirring through a machine next him. 

A polite knock on the door made him glance up, he set the sample down and stood up. Pogo waited patiently for Reginald to acknowledge him before speaking up, “Master Hargreeves, with this new development, will you still go through with your original plan?”

“No. It may be necessary in the future to find another way to bring them together, however it’s highly likely that the arrival of this child has or will change the course of actions. And anyway, I was forced to dispatch Number 4. Regrettable but unavoidable given the circumstances.”

The old monkey’s face twisted with grief at these words and the hand on his cane shook, “Understood, sir.” He said sadly. 

“Should I readjust Grace’s programming back to their default? Since we will no longer be going through with the plan, that is.”

“Yes, do so immediately and inform her that she will have a new child to look after.” He considered something for a few moments, “In the event the child will adapt to her new circumstances she will be moved to a room. Until then, tell Grace to prepare the secure cell.”

Pogo nodded, “Of course, sir.” He turned and limped away slowly, after a moment, however, he turned back, “She does look remarkably like master Klaus, doesn’t she?” He added wistfully, a heavy hint of sorrow in his tone. 

Reginald’s attention had already turned back to his experiments, his machine was beginning to beep. “I suppose she does.” Was all he acknowledged. 

Pogo left and Reginald stood back, watching with rapt curiosity as his machine began to smoke and alarms began to sound off. The vial of blood along with the microscope sample started to vibrate and boil quickly shattering their glass containers. The old man stepped back and shut the door, observing as items in his lab started being destroyed by invisible forces. The machine analyzing her DNA exploded as things were thrown about and a sudden invisible chaos erupted inside. 

The sprinkler system went off and Reginald observed the streams of water being displaced indicating the presence of a living creature, although, it or they were not visible to the naked eye. He looked through his monocle and watched the scene play out for a few more minutes, jotting down several lines in his journal. He secured the door and walked away, the sounds of chaos erupting behind him. 

When he returned to the inspection room, he found Kenzie awake, staring pointedly at a point in space. He walked up to her and cleared his throat. 

“Kenzie, I know you’re afraid but keep looking at me. It’s going to be okay.”

“Now that you’re awake - we can begin introductions and your training. I am your grandfather. You will address me as such or you will address me as “Sir”. Do you understand?”

“You don’t have to speak, just nod your head if you understand him,” Ben didn’t want her to speak, didn’t want to make this situation any more traumatizing or painful than it already was - so he used the techniques he learned as a child growing up under Sir. Hargreeves.

Kenzie nodded stiffly. 

“Good. I will refer to you from this point forward only as “Number 8”.” He inspected her briefly through his monocle, “Look at me when I am speaking to you.” 

Kenzie’s eyes flickered to her grandfather’s face for the first time. 

“I understand that you have been raised in an undisciplined environment where you were taught to admire degeneracy and chaos. Your age will make it difficult to revert these attitudes however, in this house you will adhere to the rules, you will maintain a standard of behavior or you will be punished. Do you understand this?”

“I think you should eat shit.”

“Kenzie - no, don’t--”

Reginald’s lips tightened in disapproval, “I see.” He lifted up his book and scribbled a few sentences down before regarding his granddaughter again. 

“In this house you will be trained to achieve your potential, to push past the limits of your abilities and control--”

“Kenzie, do not listen to anything he says--”

“--Understand that without discipline you are a danger to your society and if you do not learn to adapt to your developing abilities you will be disposable for the good of the many.--”

“--Your grandfather is a very bad man and he doesn’t know you - he doesn’t know your heart or your mind. Listen to my voice, baby, you are kind, you are smart, you are loved.--”

“--I suggest you think about this before you spit out any more obscenities. Your training will begin tomorrow at 5 A.M sharp--”

Reginald turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving them alone. 

“I want to go home.”

“I know, we’re going to be okay. Someone will come for us.”

************************************************************************************************************

It felt like eternity before Klaus’ heart finally gave out under the pressure and he was finally free of the agony. He opened his eyes as the pain faded and he was falling. He was falling, and falling, and falling. Despite the sensation, his mind was free again to think clearly, and he allowed the feeling of eternal gravity to push him down. 

When his feet ultimately landed against a sizzling red, mountainous landscape he didn’t flinch at the sensation of hot air against his face. He didn’t acknowledge the beauty of the ruby surfaces or the stature of the impressive being waiting for him. 

This was the second time he had been to hell. The first time had blown his mind, had given him hope for a reprieve from the pain of existence. He had marveled at the environment and plotted to get what he wanted. It wasn’t like that this time. 

This time he was angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning - Child abuse / endangerment


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus' family is tested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, guys! I can't believe it! This is the final chapter in this story! And coming in at just over 10,000 words it's a doozie! I probably should have split it up into two more chapters but I couldn't do that to you guys. As far as I know, I will be continuing this story as a series - the next installment being titled "Hell and High Water" (Still based on the song by Coleman Hell) and it will be happening through the events of the first season so it will be focused around the siblings and Kenzie. Anyway! Thank you guys so much for reading and I hope that you enjoy this big finale!

“I thought we had a deal.” An unimpressed voice cut through Klaus’ thoughts along with an apathetic sigh. 

Klaus turned his head to see Satan, sitting at his large desk surrounded by a volcanic landscape, he was writing quickly, his head leaned against the palm of his hand. He was still beautiful in an off putting way and his hair was still perfect. He walked up to the desk, another flash of anger in his veins as Satan didn’t look up from his work. 

“You slippery bitch.”

Satan glanced up, “Thank you?”

He finished writing out the rest of a sentence then set the red feather pen down and leaned back in the chair, “I gave you what you wanted and you were to never return and yet--”

“You didn’t give me what I wanted, you _gave_ me a fucking baby!” Klaus snapped. 

“And yet here you are - while our spark is down there with your father. The same man who raised you; The beautifully functioning adult.” he continued with strong sarcasm before adding “Do you want me to take her back?”

Klaus grabbed the sides of his hair and pulled, “Don’t you dare…”

“Then I don’t see what the problem is?” His voice was good natured and teasing, an amused smirk over his lips. 

It was so very rare that Klaus resorted to violence but he grabbed a comically large tome from the desk and hurled it at the dark lord. It thumped harmlessly against his chest and inciniterated in a ball of flames, “The _problem_ is she’s the most precious thing in the world and you left her with _me_. You left her with me - we were fucking homeless!”

“I’ve kept tabs.”

Klaus grabbed up several papers from the desk and balled them up only to hurl them at the demon prince - they too, disappeared into ash. 

“You left us homeless - You gave me this baby and just left her out in the cold with a fucked up lunatic on the city streets! You helped bring her into this world and then you did nothing! You just left us with nothing and we’ve had to claw and rip our way to survive.”

“She seems fine.” 

He pointed to the skyline of the seemingly never ending red sky that surrounded them, “Do you have any idea what we’ve been through?”

Satan sighed, “I have no control over what occurs to mortals.”

Klaus pointed a finger in his face, “I hate you - I hate you and your dumb, stupid, dumb face - you bitch!” He doubled over, breathing heavily. 

Satan looked down at him with a soft expression, “Been waiting 7 years to say that?”

The Seance glanced up, “Yeah.” He said heavily then he added, voice cracking with emotion, “My baby - he’s got her.. I-I failed, the only thing that ever mattered and I couldn’t even protect her…” He muttered, turning around and stumbling away. “And the last thing I did I yelled at her…”

Satan frowned “Do you really think I would have left my spark with someone who was not strong enough to protect her? I gave her all the tools she would need to survive and I had no doubt that she would blend in and thrive on the earthly plane.”

Klaus’ head snapped towards the prince, “Okay - first of all, she’s got horns, you shitheel.”

“Eh, creation’s not an exact science.”

Klaus whined, “What did you do to me?”

“I gave you love - a pure shot of the warmth that you were so desperate for - a zenith plateau that was unconditional and never ending.”

“No, Shakespeare, I meant the other thing --”

_“No, no, no, no - STOP IT! No, please, please stop…” Klaus was trapped, his soul split and he was looking through his own eyes without any control. An overwhelming darkness was consuming him as he watched the driver of the truck who had nearly crushed them to death struggling against him._

_It was like he had a hand around the man’s heart and something awful wanted to crush it in his fingers, wanted to rip the man’s soul out of his body. At first it was instinct; he had heard his daughter scream - then there was a lingering darkness, anger that was pushing to end the man’s life._

_Klaus could see the anger, it looked like him with black, dead eyes and a hateful sneer._

_“Don’t hurt him… Please…”_

_The anger squeezed around the truck driver’s heart a little more and the man seized._

_“Fuck! Stop!” Klaus pushed back and the darkness burned him._

_It seemed to stay like that for so long, until he felt like his mind would just collapse from the strain until finally the darkness conceded and he retreated from the man’s body, snapping back into his physical form like a bone being shoved back into its socket. He no longer remembered where he was or who was with him - all he knew was that he was trapped and the darkness was slaking close behind._

“That thing that violates my brain and makes me kill people.”

Satan tilted his head, a patronizing expression of something akin to pity came over his mythical features, “What makes you think that I did that?”

Klaus snorted, “That-that _thing_ isn’t me, okay? Even when I lost control when I was younger - it wasn’t like that, wasn’t that evil. I want it gone, as soon as possible, please and thank you.”

“Just because you’re afraid of the darkness inside of you doesn’t mean that it wasn’t always there.” Satan sighed, clasping his hands behind his back and he began to walk away. 

“JUst becAUse You’Re aFRaId oF tHe darKnESs iNsiDe of you DoeSn’T mEAN thaT IT wAsn’T ALwayS tHEre.” Klaus repeated in a mocking british accent, “You sound like my father - Hey! Where are you going? I’m not done yelling at you yet--”

“Listen -” Satan twisted on his heel and held up a hand, stopping the Seance in his tracks, “You don’t hate the spark, do you?”

“You mean Kenzie? Kenzie Grace? The little auto cumbusting person you created? The actual child my sociopathic father just kidnapped? The one I love more than anything in the world? No - no, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She’s darkness, Klaus.” He stepped forward and the other man stepped back, forgetting just how intimidating the prince of darkness truly was. “She’s fire and death and shadow - A true culmination of evil and power.”

Klaus nodded somewhat blankly “Fascinating. I had no idea evil and power were so obsessed with spongebob and listening to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off” ’ 20,000 times a day. I’ll keep that in mind--”

“What I’m trying to say is…” The towering demon thought carefully about his next words, “Evil is what you make it. The spark can’t help who or what she is yet you love her anyway. And she loves you. Still you cower in fear at the darkness within you rather than embrace it - control it - find peace in accepting your soul for exactly what. It. Is.”

Satan leaned away back to his full height and began to walk again, “Don’t blame your weakness on me, my friend.”

“I think ‘friend’ is a bit of a stretch - maybe something more like alimony dodger…” He had to speed up to catch up with the prince, “I think that ‘Friend’ would be more apropos if you paid for a single goddamn thing - seriously, any child support would have been great. I--”

He fumbled against Satan’s back as the demon stopped without warning. 

“Take a look.” Satan was staring over the edge of what looked like a pooling lake of lava, he gestured over the edge for Klaus to come closer.

Klaus stepped up to the pool of lava, feeling the heat radiating off the surface. It was either completely unmoving or swirling slowly, he couldn’t quite tell but he stared into the darkness. 

He saw himself, lying on the floor of their apartment with his body surrounded by broken glass and cold chilli. He watched as Dave came inside - and his heart ached when he saw his fiance run to him and grab his lifeless body, cradling it to his chest. He couldn’t hear but he saw Dave’s mouth moving as he mumbled something over his body. 

Dave’s finger’s shakily searched for a pulse that would not be found, after a minute` he left his throat and his head shot up, he saw him screaming for Kenzie and run to her bedroom, then he searched the house. When he realized that she was gone he stumbled back to Klaus’ body and knelt down next to it. His head tilted slightly and he reached over Klaus’ corpse and opened his fisted hand to pull out a crumpled piece of paper. 

Dave inspected the paper - no doubt a piece of the check that he had ripped up, with the unmistakable Umbrella Co. emblem on the front.

“Dave - don’t.” Klaus’ face fell as he watched the scene in front of him play out. 

Dave placed Klaus’ cold dead hands over his stomach respectfully then kissed his forehead. Klaus wanted to feel that so badly but his soul was far away and his body was purple and cold. His fiance promptly got up, fists clenched at his side and left the apartment. 

“For the love of--” Klaus groaned, “David Joseph Katz you better not be doing what I think you’re doing…” He mumbled to himself. 

He looked over at Satan and nodded his head curtly, “Well, that’s my cue - send me back.”

To his surprise the lord of darkness only gave him a patronizing hum, turning around and seating himself back at his large, dramatic desk. He picked up a red feather ink quill and began writing again, leaving Klaus standing near the edge of the lava river with his mouth hanging open. 

“Chop - Chop! Luci - time to send me back to get my baby and my future husband from my diabolical father.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow and sighed, “Look, I don’t want you here any more than you want to be here- you’re obnoxious and were made to be a broken rule in an otherwise chaotic universe--”

“Thank you?--”

“But your body isn’t going to be able to take a soul - it’s… What’s the word? Fucked.”

“Yeah. I know that. That’s why I’m here - so… Let me back up there so I can handle--” He waved his hand around, “All that.”

He waited but his only response was that of silence and a sizzling ink quill against metaphysical parchment. 

Klaus walked up and snapped his fingers in front of the devil’s nose, “Hey! Pretty boy- That’s your baby down there needing saving too, you know, so… Time's ticking.”

“Humph.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She’s got all the tools she needs to survive.”

“Yeah, so did I. That’s kind of how child abuse works. You don’t want her going through what I went through, Luci - Okay?”

Satan continued to scribble against the paper, “I already told you - You’re body is broken. Believe me - I don’t want you here either. Especially with the spark having been literally stolen from you. But, it’s no matter - If she calls I’ll go and get her before he has a chance to hurt her. You’re out of this fight, Number 4.”

Klaus reached out and snatched up the paper, he split it in half and it dissipated into dust, “I promised her I wouldn’t leave her.” He snarled. 

Satan threw his hands up, “You know what? Fine.”

Klaus clapped triumphantly only to blink and be shoved back into his own body- he lurched forward gasping for air that just wasn’t there. In an instant he was met with the unceasing brutal pain coursing through his veins, beginning at the hole still oozing from his stomach and reaching a crescendo around his eyes until it felt like his brain was about to explode out of his skull. 

He tried to scream but all that came out was a hoarse croak and he collapsed back, opening his mouth, desperately fighting for oxygen and relief as the sensation that his bones were cracking all at once consumed him. 

Klaus concentrated as hard as he could, the pain was unbearable. He felt exhausted in a way that he couldn’t even describe, pushing his abilities and his powers further than he ever could have imagined. He crawled forward, the movement sending tremors through his muscles and he could feel his heart struggling to maintain his body. 

He closed his eyes and screamed as loudly as he could, although all that came out was a strangled gurgling sob. 

He wasn’t able to suffocate before his heart gave out and he was once again falling. He landed back against the sizzling surface. Only this time Satan was waiting for him, a look of pity over his beautiful demonic features. 

“I’m sorry, Klaus.”

Klaus looked up, “Send me back.”

********************************************************************************************

“Number 8, I expect better behavior from you starting immediately - your performance on the way to your room has done nothing but make it perfectly clear that you are adhering to your old degenerate lifestyle. Such actions will be punished, do you understand?”

Reginald held Kenzie by the arm next to a small padded cell that they had got down a secret elevator to get to, he held the door open with his cane and stared at her with an upturned nose. The 7 year old attempted to wrestle out of his grip in response to which he had no reaction. He pushed her into the room and she tumbled down onto the padded floor, “I hate you!” She screamed and attempted to bolt out of the cell. 

Reginald shut the door and with a turn of a heavy bank vault like lock she was trapped. She hit the door and then continued banging against the clear door with her fists as hard as she could, yelling nonsense curse words that she learned from her father. 

“Baby - Kenzie. Kenzie, stop!” Ben was attempting to grab her wrist out of habit but was effectively useless in this situation. 

“Kenzie Grace, I need you to listen to me!” 

She stopped her clawing at the door and turned around, face scrunched up and red with tears. She looked over the bed, toilet, and chair that crowded the small prison cell then finally looked up at her uncle, “I want to go home…” She sniffled and tried to grab her uncle to hug him but walked straight through which started another round of tears. 

She slid down next to the bed and Ben settled next to her, “Someone is going to come get you, you understand me? We are going to go home soon, I promise.”

He was searching her face trying to figure out exactly what was going through her head, “I know that I’m not much help right now but I’m still your uncle. You need to get some rest, okay? I’m not going anywhere and I’ll look out for you.” He patted the small gray bed with one pillow. 

She was staring into the distance. Not speaking.

“Baby? Hey, tell me what’s on your mind - don’t- you’re not alone here.”

“Did momma die ‘cause of me?” She asked softly. 

“No. Reginald Hargreeves is a very bad man and that has nothing to do with you. This is not your fault.”

Their heads shot up at the sounds of voices, at first Ben’s heart lept with excitement thinking that someone already came for them but it soon faded away as the sight of a dozen or so mangled ghosts began to meander towards the cell. He tilted his head in confusion as they started moving faster towards them, looking directly at them trapped in the cell. 

“Kenzie!” Various voices began to moan and wail - like they used to do to Klaus.

“What the hell…” Ben mumbled under his breath. 

Kenzie curled up and covered her ears as the ghost began to scream louder, “Go away!”

She wasn’t a stranger to rogue spirits but they never got close to her and if caught off guard would actively run away in terror from the child. Ben wanted to scream, he wanted to cry - why had these spirits decided to torment her like they did her father now, all of the sudden. 

“Get away from her!” Ben snapped as one spirit made it through the door, followed by a shambling second, “She’s just a kid!” He tried wrestling against the spirits but was almost immediately overpowered by the numbers.

Kenzie remained curled on the floor trying to block out their wails - Ben had almost lost all hope when unprompted she uncurled herself and stood up on shaky legs, fists balled up at her sides she screamed- a sound which turned into something that sounded more like a roar. 

She closed her eyes and the air around her exploded into hellfire sending Ben tumbling to the ground with a force that he didn’t understand. The spirits yelped and screeched in either terror or agony. They stumbled and crawled away in desperation, clawing through the walls and cowering in the corners. 

Ben shielded his eyes from the painful flame and stood back up, “Kenzie- Kenzie, they’re gone.”

The bed and chair erupted into flames, catching the padded walls on fire. 

“Kenzie?”

She didn’t respond. 

************************************************************************************************************

Klaus lurched forward - was this the seventh time he had been crammed back into his actively rotting body? It could have been the tenth or the millionth, he couldn’t tell anymore. His jaw clenched painfully against the blood and foam bubbling up in his mouth. 

He knew the routine at this point - initial burning pain, then his bones feel like they are shattering in his body, the blood constricts his airways and then his heart begins to fail. Then again, with a snap of Satan’s fingers he’s shoved back into the carousel of horrors. 

He had moved about 5 feet, simply crawling, dying, then crawling some more towards the door - unable to think of anything else he continued to reach out a hand and drag himself a little further towards the door. 

He whined, he couldn’t do anymore. 

Before his heart could give out again he broke down - collapsing uselessly to the floor and sobbing pitifully. His heart stuttered and he closed his eyes - something latched onto him. 

Klaus felt something crack inside of his soul and suddenly he was trapped - a heavy sense of darkness overtook his body and mind - the pain faded away blissfully. He felt himself stand but he never made a move to do so. He looked into the mirror to see something dark - something just like him with sunken black eyes - it smiled and raised a compromising hand. 

In that moment he felt like he was both inside and floating outside of his body - he stepped forward. The darkness inside of him was intent and only concerned with one thing.

He made his way to the academy although he couldn’t remember the journey as whatever took him over moved consistently forward. People moved out of his way but they didn’t scream and they didn’t seem to notice even though Klaus was yelling at them, yelling for help as he realized that his control was waning quickly. 

****************************************************************************************************

Dave ducked a particularly wicked blow and threw another punch which was promptly blocked by the old man. He knew it was going to be ugly but he hadn’t expected just how fast Sir. Hargreeves would move to dispatch his future son-in-law. He also didn’t expect for this old man to be this strong or this agile - there was no reason he should have been getting the upper hand on Dave. 

There was no going to the police - they wouldn’t be able to do anything and most of them would be able to pay off. Laws don’t apply to rich men and Dave knew it would easily be turned back onto him for his fiance’s death. 

The old man knocked him over and threw a kidney busting hit to his stomach, Dave’s heart dropped as he saw Reginald pull out a knife - he couldn’t fail, Kenzie was somewhere in this house. He promised Klaus that he would always protect her - always put her first - now Klaus was dead and Dave was about to be murdered by the same bastard who stole his daughter. 

Sir. Reginald grunted as a newly conscious Nova plowed into his side and sent him tumbling away into an ancient piece of furniture. The firefighter wiped his bloody lip and offered his hand to Dave who took it and climbed quickly back to his feet. He grabbed the ax which was his only current weapon and pointed it at the old man. 

He opened his mouth to say something but promptly stopped when a severe buzzing sound erupted all around them causing them to cover their ears. Reginald stopped and stood up but his gaze was no longer set on Dave or Nova but past them at the entrance of his study. 

The lights flickered and several of the bulbs above them shattered, sending glass over the three men. Dave looked over, covering his head from the shards, and his first reaction was joy - his second reaction was to run. 

Klaus was hovering just past the doorway, a pulsing, dizzying energy was emanating out from his body. His skin was a deep bluish dead grey and his eyes were sunken black holes into his skull. 

Dave grabbed Nova’s arm and they vaulted over one of the desks, hiding just out of sight as Klaus or whoever this was - floated forward. 

“Oh shit…” Nova glanced over at Dave as they crouched behind the furniture, “Did you know he could do that?”

They both cringed as the energy washed over them, sending the world spinning and intense pangs of anxiety and unease through them. 

“Kind of?”

Nova looked at him skeptically, hands over his ears, “The hell you mean ‘kind of’?!”

*********************************************************************************************************

Klaus watched the scene from a distance - as a passenger in his own mind. His father stood up as if to greet him, properly wiping down his vest and readjusting his stature to seem professional. After everything that he did, he still had the audacity to look pleasantly amused by the shell of his dead son slowly stalking him. 

“Number 4--” He patted his chest down as if to grab the monocle but his face fell as his fingers rested on the pocket it was usually stored, now empty. This seemed to catch him off guard more than his son hovering in front of him with black eyes. 

He quickly blinked and his hand fell to his side as he looked over the demonic presence in front of him, “Fascinating…”

“I didn’t do anything to you! None of us did! And you still took her away…” Klaus was shouting his lungs out. The darkness surrounding him did not speak or acknowledge, it simply hovered above the old man. 

“Number 4, can you hear me?”

“You couldn’t just leave us alone!? We weren't hurting anybody… My baby wasn’t hurting anybody… I swear to god, old man, if you hurt her -” His voice changed and Klaus growled, the darkness overtaking what was left of the human inside. 

From an outside perspective it just seemed as if this ghostly, evil version of Klaus was hovering menacingly over Sir. Reginald Hargreeves who was twitching and gasping in horror.

“If you hurt her…” His soul lunged from his body and Reginald fell backwards 

The darkness reached out and gripped onto the old man’s heart but it did not move - it held him in a state of agonizing suspense as Reginald’s heart attempted to beat under the pressure. The darkness smiled at Klaus but did not react - Klaus moved forward as they seemed to merge, suddenly he didn’t know where the darkness ended and he began. 

He was no longer watching him suffer; instead, he felt him suffer. 

“You should not have taken her.” Klaus’ voice mixed with the darkness until they were one in the same. 

Klaus reached out his hand and placed it over the darkness surrounding his father’s heart.

“You should not have hurt her.” He squeezed harder and Reginald’s mouth fell open, he clutched his chest and gasped for air. 

“You should not have hurt us.” He clenched his fist. 

Reginald Hargreeves’ body collapsed to the ground leaving a strange warping soul behind of which Klaus couldn’t quite make out - as if he were looking through the snow of a TV at an old fashioned program. Even in death his father looked dignified and made a point to straighten his back and raise his chin. Klaus raised a hand and with a growl slammed his father’s soul down where it couldn’t hurt anybody again. 

Klaus returned to his body, the darkness did not let him go - the roots plunged into his soul and he could feel himself being lost. A part of him, the exhausted, broken part wanted to let it over take him. Let it consume him. 

“Klaus?” Dave stood up cautiously from behind the desk and stepped forward towards his floating fiance. 

“I need you to come back.”

Klaus screamed as the darkness leached onto his soul - it did not care for this begging. It wanted to lash out at anybody and everyone who got close to him - wanted to rip the souls out of the world just in case until nobody could hurt him or his daughter. 

“Klaus, don’t leave me - you’re safe.” Dave’s voice rang through his soul. Klaus reached for it but the Darkness clawed at it. 

He pushed back, feeling some of the roots loosen. 

There was a snap then suddenly he was no longer hovering in the academy, 

_He opened his eyes, he was sitting down on a bench. The nightlife around him was so alive and tempting but he was cold. And he was hurting. His body hurt in a more manageable way, although he certainly didn’t feel like that now, in the middle of the Halloween night. He looked down and in his arms was a tiny infant, she was wrapped haphazardly in a black blanket and she was wailing at a truly ear splitting decibel._

_Klaus’ hands were shaking so hard as he tried to tease the end of the bottle to her mouth he kept bumping her with it and the infant screamed and squirmed in response._

_“Come on - Just eat. For the love of…” He tried again, shifting her down onto his lap and she responded by swiveling her head away from the nipple and screaming._

_“She needs to eat, Klaus.” Ben was next to him, uselessly leaning over to get a better look as he struggled to feed the recently summoned newborn._

_“You think I don’t know that?!” He snapped._

_As if in response, the infant wailed louder. “Shit- Sorry- C’mon! You’ve gotta eat, baby- It’s the only thing you need to do!” His arguments were lost on the infant who continued to dodge the nipple of the bottle._

_“You know some animals are born able to hunt - what the hell ever made us the top of the food chain…”_

_Klaus took a deep shaky breath, setting the squirming, upset baby on his lap. He tried again but his hands still trembled and she still continued to fight._

_“Fuck! She’s going to fucking starve…” His shoulders fell in defeat and his voice cracked, “And I can’t even…”_

_“Just keep trying! She’s gotta eat!”_

_Klaus nearly doubled over the baby in exhaustion, “Just go away…” He whined, “This was your stupid idea in the first place…I should have-- Oh, hey - “ He looked up to see a Black woman standing a few feet away, staring at him and the baby._

_At first glance he thought she might have worked at the store he stole all the baby supplies from and his heart dropped but he quickly deduced that she must have been apart of the line into the nearest club, based on her punk, goth attire. She had a multicolored hairstyle and many piercings, her coat was large, her pants were tight and her boots were extra._

_“You’re trying too hard, man.” She walked up casually, even though Klaus must have looked like a lunatic with a hostage baby._

_“I- I-”_

_“Here--” She sat next to him, Ben scrambled to get out of the seat, and reached a hand out, “Do you mind?”_

_Klaus shook his head._

_Instead of taking the baby which he had expected, she simply took his arms and guided the two of them into a different position, he limply complied, too tired to fight. She settled them until the baby was sitting up higher and Klaus had his hand against the back of her neck, holding her head up._

_“This is all natural--’ The stranger said, placing her palm over Klaus’ shaking bottle hand, “Just don’t think about it, she trusts you to and you need to trust yourself, understand?”_

_Klaus nodded his head with a soft whine, he took a few more breaths and tried again, willing his hands to stop trembling and the racing thoughts to calm down. The woman reached over and guided his hand slowly to the baby's mouth , helping to steady him._

_As if on cue she latched onto the bottle and finally began to eat, her eyes drooping contentedly as her tummy began to fill up. Klaus’ mouth fell open, “Shit…”_

_The stranger laughed, “See? You’re going to be fine, she’s not going to starve to death or some crazy shit like that - just go with your instincts and make sure she feels safe, that’s all you gotta do.”_

_The baby was still gulping down the formula and Klaus was trying his best to keep the shaking in his hands to a minimum._

_“That’s all I gotta do?”_

_She smiled, “Well, I mean, there’s a lot more to it but you’ll figure all that out as you go.”_

_“Thank you.” He breathed._

_“Hey, no problem, man. Here--” She pulled off her coat and draped it over his mostly bare shoulders, “I think you need this more than I do.”_

_The warmth of the cover almost sent him back into tears as he was blocked against the October night._

_“Yo, Kenzie! You coming or what?!” The woman’s friends called to her as the line into the club started to move forward._

_She got up, “I’ll be right there!” She looked down at the new father and his newborn, finally eating, “Hey, you got this, friend.”_

_The stranger winked and then walked away, a few moments later she had disappeared into the crowd of people celebrating a late night Halloween lifestyle. He didn’t want her to go away, he wanted her to stay and keep making the situation okay but instead, he adjusted his legs and inspected the tiny human potato in his arms._

_After a while she let go of the nipple and her eyes blinked tiredly. He held her against his chest and patted her back like he had seen people do in movies until she burped and then laid her back down on his lap._

_The infant looked up at him, her eyes drooping adorably now that her tummy was full and she was warm inside her blanket. She cooed and her little face broke out in a goofy, sincere smile._

_Klaus’ heart melted into a useless puddle of goo inside his chest._

_He whined, “Oh… Well, that’s just not fair…”_

The darkness released and Klaus’ body gave out, collapsing. Dave caught him and lowered him down gently to the floor, hands brushing feather touches over his torso, re-examining the seeping stomach wound. 

“Klaus, can you hear me?”

He nodded, coughing. His throat was shot and his body was fucked up but his heart was beating steadily and he was finally getting full lungs of air. He rolled over, away from Dave and reached out to his father’s dead body. Guilt washed over him and he whimpered - the old man got everything he deserved and Klaus didn’t regret what he had to do so why did the sight of it send horror and shame through his veins?

“I’m sorry, dad…” He whispered. 

Dave and Nova shot nervous glances at each other. 

“Hey!” Liev all but tumbled into the room, out of breath, they pointed their thumb over their shoulder, “I found where he’s keeping her - she’s--” 

An explosion from the core of the mansion rattled the walls and sent everyone who was standing grabbing for support. 

“Shit!” Nova ran to join Liev in the doorway. 

“Kenzie…”

“Can you stand?” 

Klaus nodded and let Dave pull him up onto shaky, weakened legs. He almost instantly collapsed again if it weren’t for hsi finance ducking under his arm and wrapping around his middle to hold him up. “I’ve got you.”

They followed Leiv to a secret elevator that Klaus had never seen, after living in the godforsaken house for 18 years there were still secret rooms he never discovered. The farther they went down the warmer it got until they reached the bottom floor and it was stifling hot. They all scrambled out of the elevator and into a large concrete room, in the middle of which was a small square cell. 

A tower of flames shot up from the top, beginning to consume the area around it - the metal frame was melting and waves of intense, burning heat were imananting from the center of the cell. From the middle of the collapsing structure what looked like a gate to the center of hell was just consuming the environment. 

Klaus lunged forward, grabbing onto the handle of the door and shoving it down - his hands instantly blistered and he screamed in pain. 

“Klaus, no!” Dave tried to stop him but a moment later they were all being thrown backwards as the door burst open sending them into the back wall. 

Ben watched as they hit the wall and tumbled to the ground, scrambling to get back up and help. He couldn’t see much through the flames and the black smoke twisting and curling around them but he thought he saw Klaus and his heart soared in relief. 

She had lost control and it seemed like nothing he was saying or doing was going to calm her down, he pulled from his brother’s power and stepped through the ring of flames blocking him from his niece. Behind him Klaus collapsed as energy drained from him, he fell to his hands and knees but didn’t fight it and just let Ben take what he needed. 

Kenzie’s face was twisted in confusion and fear, he reached out with all of his effort and put a soft hand on her arm - “Sweetie - it’s time to go home but I need you to let go. We can’t help you if you don’t let us near you.”

“I don’t know how!”

“Yes. You do.” Ben knelt down and put his hands on either side of her face. He should not have been able to feel the fire but as he touched her his cold blue form turned a brilliant orange as veins of fire wrapped around his body burning through the normally numb existence. 

She shook her head. 

“Kenzie - look at me, please.”

After a few moments she forcefully opened her eyes. 

“I know that you’re so scared and I know that you feel so alone right now but you’re not. This bad dream is over and you came out on top - now, let me take care of you. Let me take you home, okay? Your mom and dad are waiting for us.”

He knew she was trying but she was so overpowered by the fire and she was struggling to keep it as contained as it currently was. 

Ben smiled, “Hey - hey, listen to me. I’m going to tell you a secret, okay? I stopped your momma from naming you Ouija. There has never been a single moment where I have not had your back, okay? I just need you to trust me now. Just let go, I’ll catch you.”

“Just let go, Kenzie.”

She whined and closed her eyes, after a moment the flaming tornado ceased and she fell forward. Ben caught her and held her - covering her as the cell collapsed around them sending pieces of metal and ash piled on top of them. The burning ropes around his body dissipated and he was left back to his usual numb blue color. The debris bounced off of his corporeal blue form and he was lucky enough not to feel any of it. 

“Good job, baby. You did good.”

He waited for everything to cease falling over them to use his body to push them both up through the rubble. Klaus, Dave, Nova, and Liev were circling the area yelling for them - even with 3 quarters of the group wearing firefighting gear the heat was too intense for them to get too close. 

A massive emergency sprinkler system which Reginald had been smart enough to add went off and doused everything and everyone in a heavy sheet of water sending steam up from Kenzie’s skin. 

Ben took a step out of the cell and Klaus made the most heart wrenching sound as he caught a glimpse of Kenzie sitting safely against the ghost’s shoulder. His brother looked awful - half of his clothes were covered in blood and vomit - his skin was still a purplish corpse gray and his hands were bleeding from the palms. Nonetheless, he moved forward out of Dave’s grip towards them. 

“Wait - Here.” Liev was the first to reach them, they threw their kevlar cover over the child, and inspected her with heavily gloved hands. Just in time for Klaus to completely ignore them and reach out for her anyway - but thankfully with the protection she didn’t burn him as badly. 

Kenzie gasped as she saw him and moved to grab onto her father’s neck - Ben moved to lean her down so that Klaus could get to his knees first before letting her full weight fall against him. He gripped her tightly against his chest while Ben kept a hand pressed against her back - neither of them wanting to let her go too far. 

Ben glanced up as Liev’s placed a firm hand on his shoulder and squeezed. They gave him an encouraging smile. 

“I’m so sorry, Kenzie. I’m so fucking sorry…” 

She pulled away, taking in Klaus’ appearance and then she glanced back at her uncle Ben, “Are you dead?”

Klaus laughed and shook his head, “Are you kidding me? You think a little death is going to keep me away from you? No, I’m peachy - nothing a little TLC can’t fix, right?” 

“Where is the- The bad man? He said you weren’t ever coming back.” She sniffled, “He said I was never going to go home.”

He pulled her straight back into his chest, her body was burning hot against his corpse cold figure. 

“He was an old evil man baby - Evil’s hard on the heart. He can’t get you anymore, I promise.” Klaus let out a teary laugh, “He should have known not to mess with us -”

“Because we’re scarier than the spooks?”

“Because we’re the scariest thing in this goddamn city.”

“I was scared, momma.” She admitted, leaning back and searching his face. 

He used the back of his burnt hand to wipe away at her tears and nodded, “Yeah, me too, pumpkin. It’s okay to be scared.”

“I love you so much, Kenzie - you don’t have any idea, little fireball.”

“I love you too.”

Dave dropped to the floor next to them, inspecting her closely. “Kenzie - are you okay?” 

She didn’t answer and just fell back into Klaus’ arms, he wrapped her up as tightly as he could. Ben grabbed both of them and buried his face in his brother’s neck. Dave covered them all up and they stayed there for a long time huddled on the ground, half of them freezing, half of them burning and all off them soaked in the ceiling water. 

Liev and Nova were talking in urgent hushed tones just off to the side until finally Liev walked up and gently tapped Dave’s back. 

“Hey, man - We need to get you guys to a hospital, those burns aren’t going to get any better.”

Klaus lifted his head up, “No hospitals - I can’t-- I can’t even…” He loosely waved one hand trying to get his point across but he wasn’t getting anywhere and his speech was beginning to slur as the adrenaline began to wear off. 

Dave shook his head, “The ghosts won’t leave him alone and he won’t be able to push them away. Also there’s the… Other thing… that may make it a bad idea to go to a.. Public hospital.”

They nodded, “I see, okay - you got a med kit in your car, Katz?”

“Yeah, we can patch him up there.”

“Li and I will clean things up here.”

Dave pressed a kiss to the back of Kenzie’s head, “Let’s go home.”

Klaus made a movement to stand and Kenzie’ reacted by clinging on harder along with a loud noise of protest. Ben tried to grab her but he was flickering away as Klaus’ abilities waned from his injuries. Luckily Dave stepped in, “Hey, hold on to mom’s wrist, okay? Don’t let go.”

She obliged and held on to Klaus’ wrist as Dave lifted her onto his hip. Nova all but lifted Klaus’ entire body up back onto shaky legs and helped him drape an arm around Dave’s neck. He began to move away from the violent scene, Kenzie on his hip holding onto her father while also supporting half of his fiance’s weight. 

As they were leaving Liev placed a hand on Ben’s slowly dissipating form, “Hey, are you okay.”

He looked back at them, “Yeah - Yeah, I’m okay.”

They smirked, “Liar.”

His expression suddenly softened and his brow furrowed - he quickly leaned over and pulled them into a hug, burying his face in their neck. They clung onto him, rubbing small circles against his back with their thumb until he lost his corporeal nature and their arms fell straight through them. 

Ben sighed and stepped away, “Thank you--” His voice faded in and out as Dave and Klaus moved further away. 

Liev cleared their throat and did a quick salute - twisting on their heel and moving to joining Nova as he inspected what looked like an explosion crater in the middle of this creepy jail basement. 

***************************************************************************************************

Ben glanced behind his seat - Klaus was laid out carefully against a firefighting jacket, propped up against the door with Kenzie lying over his lap still gripping onto his arm. They both seemed to be asleep and looked almost peaceful it weren’t for Klaus’ gratuitous injuries and Kenzie’s soot covered face. 

Dave’s hands were gripped tightly around the steering wheel and his jaw was tense, staring straight ahead. Finally, he glanced over at the ghost who was flickering in and out of visibility in the passenger seat, “We need to tell Sally what’s going on.”

Ben nodded quickly, “Yeah, maybe I can talk her into coming home for a little while?”

“I’d like that…” He swallowed, “I’d feel better if we had everyone together at home.”

“Me too.”

Dave pulled up to the edge of the fully darkened and foreboding playground just behind the elementary school and parked as close as he could to the fence. Ben glanced back one more time at his brother and niece before looking back at Dave, “I’ll be right back.”

Ben made his way through the darkened playground, eyes scanning over the environment for a familiar face. Luckily, this area was generally pretty empty at night, ghosts included - he worried about Sally being here all by herself which he knew was ridiculous since she had been existing just fine all on her own for the past who knows how long. 

“Sally?” He called out, seeing the slight movement of the swing where she usually sat. 

A small head popped out from behind the big tree just off to the side, wide eyed and nervous from their hiding spot. 

“Sally? It’s just me - I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She ran out from behind the tree, a small relieved grin over her features, “Did you come to play with me?”

He knelt down, “Not tonight, I’m afraid - Sally, I just wanted to let you know that something happened tonight and Kenzie won’t be coming to school in the morning.”

“She’s okay--” He added as Sally’s eyes widened. 

“But I was kind of hoping that you would come home with us - we’re all a bit shaken up and we’d like for you to be there.”

She thought about it for a moment, “Why?” The little ghost asked curiously. 

“Because you’re family and family always sticks together.”

“I’m family…”

He put a hand on her shoulder, “Yeah - Sal, I know, better than anyone, what it’s like to be invisible and to just constantly watch while the world you once knew moves on without you. And tonight, there was a moment where I thought that I wouldn’t be coming back. Do you know what that made me realize?”

She shook her head. 

“That I’m very lucky. I’m lucky to be a part of this world and I’m lucky that I got to meet people like you - You don’t have to hide away anymore, I know that you’re scared. I was scared too - but I’ll make sure that you’re safe and that you're not alone. If you’ll let me.”

She thought about this for several moments, then in true Sally fashion, “I’d like that.” She said simply. 

Ben couldn’t help but grin despite himself, “Thank you.” He pulled her in for a victorious hug then pushed the hair away from her face, “Let’s go home, huh?”

She nodded, grabbing onto his neck, “Let’s go home. It’s too cold out here.”

Ben walked them back to the car and settled her on his lap in the front seat, even as they got into the car their corporeal natures were fading in and out.

Dave sighed as he realized that he convinced the stubborn ghost to come home, “How are you doing, Sally?”

“I’m good.” She reached out and patted the driver’s shoulder which made both Dave and Ben laugh. 

Klaus’ head shot up with a grunt, “S’matter?”

Dave glanced back through the rearview mirror, “It’s okay, baby. We’re just picking up Sally.”

Klaus’ eyes squinted blearily into the front seat, Sally reached back with an open hand. His face softened as he came out of sleep for a moment, “Hi, baby” He reciprocated and he gingerly tapped the edge of her fingers with his own, careful not to jostle the hastily wrapped burns. 

“Everyone’s here now…” He mumbled, sinking back into his seat, “We’re all going home…” 

******************************************************************************************************

Their home wasn’t incredibly torn up, there was food on the floor and several of Kenzie’s belongings had been broken after she fell onto the table but those things were fixable. However, the whole place felt violated and that was apparent in the way everyone seemed to be hovering around not sure what to do for the first several moments. 

“It’s broke now! It- the- she won’t even dance!” Kenzie started to pick up the pieces of the music box given to her by Allison, the lid was unhinged and the ballerina inside was missing part of her arm and dress. There were also shards of glass that she danced on scattered around the floor. 

Dave all but dove into the room and grabbed her up off the floor and onto her bed with much pretest from the child, “Those are sharp, Kenzie, be careful!”

“Who cares!? Don’t touch it!” She snapped, starting to yell now as a fresh set of tears started to well up in her eyes. 

Dave turned around for a brief moment before turning back to the child, “Hey, hey--’ He cautiously moved through the glass and sat down on the bed. 

“You really love this music box, right?”

“Of course I do! Aunt Allison gave her to me! She was PERFECT!”

Dave put a calming hand up, “I’m so sorry she was broken - I know that you must be really angry because you were so careful with her and you took good care of her, right?”

“Yeah, I was…”

“Then this happened and someone mean came in and broke her - that wasn’t your fault.”

She shook her head, cradling the remnants of the box in her lap. 

“I understand why that would make you so angry - but guess what?”

“What?”

He held up the figurine’s remaining arm and hand to the severed elbow and it fit perfectly together, “We can’t do anything about what happened but we can fix her- we have all the pieces right here.” 

He gestured to the floor littered with pieces, “Let me clean up this glass and then we’ll save the parts and I’ll help you put her back together, does that sound okay.”

Kenzie sniffled slightly but nodded anyway, continuing to hold the arm up to the broken elbow. 

“That’s my girl! Stay right here and I’ll sweep this up, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I can get that, Dave - Can you take Klaus’ temperature? Everytime I try with the digital it just bounces all over the place.” Ben leaned in the doorway after catching the tail end of their conversation. 

Dave nodded and grabbed their digital thermometer, hearing ben continuing the conversation with Kenzie while he swept up the pieces of glass. Klaus was settled stiffly on corner of the couch, his shoulders were low and his eyes were set far away at nothing. He had several blankets already piled on top of his body. 

“How else should we expect for her to react? Her grandfather came in and wrecked her shit…” He mumbled.

Dave pressed the point of the device to Klaus’ forehead, “We can fix it, I promise.”

His eyebrows furrowed and he brought it up to read the number displayed, he zeroed it out then pressed it against his fiance’s head one more time. As it displayed the same number he sighed, “90 degrees” 

He walked past Ben into Kenzie’s room and pressed the end of the thermometer against her forehead. It beeped and he read the screen, “110.”

Dave and Ben exchanged a glance, “We’ll keep them together - maybe they’ll even each other out?”

Ben shrugged, “Worth a shot.”

In the next room, Sally looked up at Klaus with big blue eyes, “You don’t look good.” She stated bluntly. 

Klaus chuckled, “Why, thank you.” 

After that he continued to lose bits and pieces of time as everyone got settled and started putting their home back together. 

“Klaus? Stay with me…” Dave was knelt down in front of his fiance, carefully bandaging the burns spread over his palms and fingers. Klaus’ hands were hanging limply over his lap and his expression was fading in and out - eyes unfocusing. 

He reached up a hand and cupped the side of Klaus’ face, “Klaus?”

After a moment Klaus blinked slowly and his eyes caught with Dave’s, wide and watery - “Shit…”

Dave nodded, “Shit.”

“Hmm.. you okay?” Klaus’ eyes drooped and he leaned forward, “You seem to be handling this pretty well, considering.”

“I’m just trying to get through this.” As proven by his career choices, Dave tended to handle crisis and stress incredibly well and was able to shut down and do what he needed to do in order to survive.however, It would always come back to bite him in the ass later.

“I thought I lost you.” Dave swallowed, “I thought I lost all of you. Seeing you on the ground like that--”

“‘M right here.” he curled over his fiance as best he could and Dave responded by laying his head briefly against his thigh.

“We’re going to be okay - “ Dave’s voice broke slightly and he lifted his head, “He won’t hurt you anymore, we can move on. We’ll get you and Kenz’ into see someone to talk to and we’ll just handle this head on, okay? We’ll take all the time we need to recover and we’ll survive this.”  
Dave stumbled through his thoughts but when he glanced back up Klaus was smiling at him, a tired, goofy, grin. 

“What?”

“You’re doing great.”

Dave huffed, “I seem that fucked up?”

“Yeah, but like you said, we’ll be fine. We just--” He yawned, cringing as his body tensed up painfully, “We just need to get some sleepy time.”

“I think you’re right but I don’t think I’ll get any sleep.” He placed a comforting hand on Klaus’ thigh and squeezed gently, “As long as you’re comfortable I can set you up in here.”

Klaus glanced at the front door, “Yeah, I’m peachy, nursemaid. Is the baby asleep?”

Dave laughed lightly, ”You’re not going to be able to call her ‘the baby’ for much longer, she created a portal to hell just a few hours ago.”

Klaus waved him off, “I’ll call her the baby when she’s ruling Hell, thank you very much.”

“And no - fire baby’s not asleep. And I’m not going to fight her on this - I figure she’ll drop when she’s ready. She’s running 3 seconds from bursting into flames right now so we’re trying to keep it chill.”

“That’s perfect, I’m so cold my entire body is numb.” Klaus glanced over his shoulder “Pumpkin!?”

In her room Kenzie sat with her legs crossed in the middle of her bed, she was exhausted but she was actively fighting sleep. Dangling from her fingers like a pendulum on a chain was the monocle which she had lifted without the old man’s knowledge. 

She studied it, entranced then held it up to her eye - glancing around her room and landing on the doll where Rot- rot was sleeping. Her head tilted as she stared through the glass and she jumped when she heard her father’s voice from the other room. 

She tucked the monocle under her pillow and ran into the living room, she was asleep in her father’s arms a few minutes later and for a moment it seemed like their whole world had never been broken. 

************************************************************************************************************  
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*  
*  
 **The next evening…**

Luther Hargeeves quietly went through his normal ‘morning’ routines, he had been alone on the cramped moon base for over 4 years and it was starting to get to him. He didn’t let that show, however as he watered his plant, suited up and walked a bag of trash to the disposal area with heavy low gravity steps. 

He paused for a moment, staring out into the cold emptiness of space where the beautiful blue earth below him was highlighted by the cresting sun. 

A news alert notification came through over his comms and he sighed, patching it through. As the message played his heart dropped and before he could stop it a tear rolled down his cheek.   
*******************

Allison walked confidently over the red carpet looking like an actual queen in her insanely expensive dress and jewelry. The outside events happening in the rest of her life were completely unimportant to the eager photographers and paparazzi - not that she exuded anything but grace and celebrity. 

She flicked her wrist in small, polite waves and smiled for the cameras. She posed calmly and ignored the shouting praises and requests from both her fans and the money hungry paparazzi. 

She reacted only by leaning back as her assistant hurriedly ran out onto the red carpet. She wasn’t supposed to do that and it caught Allison off guard, however, she did not stop waving even as the phones in the crowd began to chime obnoxiously as everyone in the crowd received this deeply personal news just seconds before she did. 

Her assistant whispered something into her ear and for a moment she faltered, glancing around and taking a quick inhale. She frowned and took a step backwards before dropping her head to the onslaught of cameras and new questions. 

“Allison! Allison! What will you wear to the funeral?!”

She moved away, sending quick waves at the crowd and let her assistant lead her away.   
*************************

Diego sent a perfectly aimed knife through the shoulder of the home invader pinning the now terrified man to the wall. He punched him unconscious and pulled out his blade - he stalked through the rest of the home and dispatched the rest of the criminals with relative ease while the traumatized homeowners sobbed and yelled through their gags from where they were tied up in the kitchen. 

He had been in a pretty bad moon, dealing with the recent split with Eudora and rather than work through his feelings he decided to go roaming the streets looking for a fight. These poor people were very lucky he happened to be patrolling nearby at the right time. 

He finished tying up the perps, all of them unconscious, and tossed them against the wall. He glanced over to the family he just saved, “Your family’s safe now.”

He said simply. 

Before he left the Tv which had been playing in the background switched to an emergency news broadcast, his fathers stern face flashed over the screen and he halted him in his tracks. 

“Holy shit…”  
**************************

Vanya walked calmly through the darkened streets of the city with her violin case at her side after coming from a particularly successful practice. She paused just outside an electronics store with a variety of TVs displayed in the window. 

The sight of her father’s face stopped her and she peered into the window. 

“Breaking news: Eccentric billionaire and founder of the umbrella Academy has been found dead in his downtown mansion of an apparent heart attack.”

Vanya’s mouth opened, “Dad…”

A firm hand grabbed hers and squeezed, “I’m so sorry.”

Vanya swallowed and looked back to where Sophie was standing just over her shoulder, despite everything she smiled at her partner’s empathic expression. She reached out and put the palm of her hand over Sophie’s pregnant belly and rubbed protectively. A small glimmer of blue light pulsed in time to the heartbeat of their baby and dissipated harmlessly into the night. 

“It’s okay.”  
********************* 

Klaus Hargreeves hummed softly, his fingers stroked through his daughter’s hair, it was still painful through the wrappings but he wasn’t thinking about it. Kenzie was cuddled up over the three comforters that were covering Klaus’ body, she fell asleep early - probably still exhausted from the night before. No one made an attempt to move anybody and Klaus didn’t care if sleeping in the living room was just going to be his new normal as long as he knew she was safe with him. 

At his feet, Sally was sitting on Ben’s lap, her ghostly fingers quickly moving through the controls of a handheld video game. Soft 8-bit songs played barely registering over the sound of the cartoon currently playing on the TV. Ben was reading around Sally, his free arm keeping her steady when she got particularly passionate about a level.

Klaus was huddled underneath Dave’s arm watching the screen with a blank expression, he was too tired to care what was happening but still too anxious to feel comfortable being without his family. 

He had accidentally drifted off when the pressure of Dave’s arm tensing around his shoulders made his eyes shoot open. His father’s face was displayed on the corner of the screen while a stern faced woman reported his death by heart attack. Then they announced the time of the funeral.

Klaus breathed out in relief and Dave did the same - there was no mention of any foul play. 

“Took them long enough to announce it.” Klaus whispered, his voice barely audible to anybody but Dave. 

“Liev and Nova said that they would clean it up. I have no idea what that entails.”

Klaus couldn’t take his eyes off the scowling face of his father displayed in the corner of the screen, “Shit…”

Dave squeezed his shoulder, rubbing softly and Klaus exhaled, “I guess it’s time to go shopping for a funeral.”

“Hey--” Dave caught his eye, “It’s going to be okay, we made it through the worst of it and now we can move on. It’s not the end of the world.”

Klaus smiled and snuggled up closer to his Fiance, pulling Kenzie tighter against his chest. He took a moment to appreciate the feeling of being surrounded by his family and despite the situation he felt a deep warmth spreading through his chest. 

“You’re right--” He closed his eyes.

“It’s not the end of the world...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your guys' comments have been the highlight of my year and I would love it if you let me know what you thought about this hot mess of a chapter! I will see you guys in 2021!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I adore comments so feel free to let me know what you think! --Shawn (They/Them)


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